


First Meeting; Final Love

by ainsalaco



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alcohol, Anal Sex, Bipolar Disorder, Blow Jobs, Bokuto gets to hold an owl, Eventual Smut, Explicit Consent, Explicit Sexual Content, First Dates, First Meetings, Grinding, Homophobia, M/M, Masturbation, Mental Health Issues, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rimming, Supportive Best Friend, Vibrators, non-graphic animal injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:34:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 87,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24598360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ainsalaco/pseuds/ainsalaco
Summary: When Bokuto get injured at the end of the season, he needs something to cheer him up while he heals. Luckily for him, Kuroo is the best friend, when he gives him the idea to volunteer at a Bird Rehabilitation Center, he never would have thought that a relationship would bloom between the beautiful veterinarian and the professional volleyball player. This fic follows Akaashi and Bokuto through the first year of their relationship.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 86
Kudos: 481





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! This is my first ever fanfic, so please be gentle in the comments haha. I'm gonna be updating every Monday. Chapters should be between 5K and 7K. I have about 8 chapters done right now. Enjoy!

“You found a what?” Bokuto shouted, turning to look towards his best friend.  


“An owl sanctuary. They take in injured owls, well, and other birds of prey, and they keep them until they are well enough to be set free. At least, I’m pretty sure that’s what that means.” Kuroo explained, he wasn’t entirely sure where it was, but he was certain that it was something Bokuto would be interested in. His friend had been in a slump lately and Kenma had suggested that he find a volunteer position to keep him occupied.  


“That’s so cool. Do you think you can pet the owls?” He asked, dropping the volleyball they had been using into the bin. Practice had ended almost an hour ago, but Bokuto had been restless lately, so he forced Kuroo to stay late with him to practice longer.  


Kuroo hummed and started untying the net, “Help me take this down.” He said, “Also, I don’t think owls like being pet.” He said. He didn’t know that much about owls other than the random facts that Bokuto would tell him from time to time, but he found it hard to imagine they liked being pet.  


Bokuto helped Kuroo finish cleaning up and they continued to chatter about what the wildlife sanctuary was probably like, “When are we gonna check it out?” He asked finally, only to get a quizzical look from Kuroo.  


“I don’t have time to go with you, but we can look up the address and you can go by yourself.” He said. Kuroo was attending the local university and working full time. He barely had time for volleyball and a relationship, never mind going off on mindless adventures. He was telling Bokuto all this to get him out of the apartment for a while!  


“Oh…” Bokuto kicked at the ground slightly as they walked, “I see. Yeah, I can go by myself.” He said softly. They scanned their passes to get on the train, not saying anything more on their way home.  


The next few days there was nothing too out of the ordinary, but Kuroo did notice that Bokuto was spending a lot more time in his bedroom than normal, but that just happened sometimes. He went to work, practice, and ate with Kenma and him, then retired to his room again. Kuroo never knew what to do to get him out of his slumps. He had managed to figure out Kenma’s depression, but Bokuto was a different person with different needs.  


“Bo.” He called, knocking on the door. ‘’I got that address for you.” Kuroo waited for Bokuto to open the door and he handed him the slip of paper with hastily scribbled directions on it. “You look like shit.” He said.  


Bokuto ran his hands through his already messy hair, “Gee thanks bro.” He said sardonically. He knew he looked like shit though, he had a shoulder injury right at the moment, which sucked. He could still go to practice, but he wasn’t allowed to spike or serve. He was essentially benched, so he was really just running laps and practicing receives. Not an ideal practice for the ace.  


“Go to the sanctuary and check it out. Maybe you can volunteer to help take care of the owls, or other birds, or whatever.” He said, “You’re not going to feel better by locking yourself in your room and bitching about your injury.” He snapped.  


Bokuto furrowed his brow at Kuroo’s suddenly sharp tone, “Okay.” He said meekly, he took the slip of paper and looked at it. “I’ll check it out.” He said as he shut the door in Kuroo’s face. He knew he was getting on Kuroo’s nerves, hell, he was getting on his own nerves.  


He didn’t really feel like going anywhere, but he took off to the shower and got ready anyway. He thought that maybe his roommate was right, sitting around wasn’t going to solve his problem, but maybe seeing the birds he loves so much could help a little.  


Within an hour Bokuto was standing in front of a huge building with very little signage to tell him that he was in the right place. He poked his head through the door and called out to see if anyone was inside, but he was just met with the sounds of birds screeching and some disgruntled, probably human, noises. He stood there for a second before a head of messy black hair came around the corner, “Sorry, did you need something?” The stranger asked.  


He straightened himself up and stepped further into the building, letting the door shut behind him. “Ah, I just…” He trailed off, what was he supposed to say? That he wanted to volunteer? He didn’t even know if they were allowing people to volunteer. Hell, he didn’t even know what volunteers were supposed to do! “My name is Bokuto.” He said instead, bowing politely. The man he was looking at and talking to was incredibly attractive, and suddenly Bokuto was feeling extremely self-conscious, all he was wearing was a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie after all. He hadn’t even done his hair up today.  


“Ah, my name is Akaashi.” He said, bowing slightly to be polite, “Can I help you with something Bokuto-san?” He asked.  


Bokuto shuffled awkwardly, “My friend told me that this place helped rehabilitate birds?” He half-asked, half-stated. When Akaashi nodded, Bokuto continued. “So I was just wondering if there was any volunteer positions open, but I, I don’t have any experience with veterinary medicine or anything. I just really like owls.” He finished lamely, he was feeling worse about going there with every passing moment.  


Akaashi nodded, “Ah, I see. Well, it’s mostly just me and a few other people who work here, so help would be nice. It would mostly just be cleaning though. The birds are often frightened and can be vicious, so you wouldn’t be able to handle them.” He stated, “I certainly don’t have any issue with allowing you to help, though I will have to run a background check and go through the proper channels to ensure you will not be a threat to the birds.” The last time he had allowed someone to help with the birds, it turned out they were actually a poacher and just waited until he gained the trust of Akaashi to kill several of the birds and sell them on the black market. Akaashi had the man arrested, but he hadn’t allowed anyone else to help him since.  


Bokuto nodded, “Yeah, that’s fine, I can totally do that!” He said, “Should I fill out some paperwork? How many hours should I come? Can I work it around my volleyball schedule?” He asked in rapid succession, shocked that the other man even said it was a possibility.  


Akaashi chuckled a little at the child like enthusiasm and made his way to the small cluttered desk. He shuffled some papers around until he found the volunteer applications and handed one to Bokuto, “Since it will be volunteer, you can work however many hours you would like for as long as you like, as long as I am here.” He said, “Which, that’s pretty much all the time.” He admitted.  


Bokuto looked down at the paperwork and nodded, “Do you have a pen? I can fill this out now.” He said. He grinned wide when Akaashi handed him a pen and cleared off a small spot on the desk.  


“You can sit here while you fill it out. If you have any questions feel free to ask me, but please don’t touch any of the cages.” He said, stepping back and moving to go back to tending to the birds.  


Bokuto filled out the paperwork, but he would be lying if he said that he hadn’t gotten distracted on more than one occasion. He kept finding his eyes following the messy mop of hair as he moved around the small space.  


Later that night he went back to the apartment, a skip in his step. When he burst through the door, he had to hold back a laugh at the scene in front of him. Kuroo had whipped his head around, eyes wide when he bust in, “Dude.” He complained, watching his boyfriend scuttle off to the bedroom from where he had been perched on the counter with Kuroo between his legs. They were both dressed, but it was still obvious to Bokuto what he was interrupting.  


“Well, that’s what the bedroom is for.” He shot back, a grin on his face at the prospect of cock-blocking his best friend. “Besides, I’m so glad you found the bird sanctuary.” He said, moving to help Kuroo with dinner. “I didn’t get to do anything today, but the birds were so cool!” He said, pumping his fist, “And the guy who works there is super pretty. Like the prettiest guy I’ve ever seen.” He was practically swooning, “I somehow managed to hold it together.”  


Kuroo put a hand to his chest and feigned pain, “Damn bro, I thought I was the prettiest guy you’d ever seen.” He let his fake pain slide into an easy smirk soon enough then, “I’m glad you had fun, you look about 100% better than this morning.”  


Bokuto looked down at himself, “I’m pretty sure I look the same.”  


Kuroo rolled his eyes, “You look happier. You look like you just played a good match. This morning you looked like your dog got hit by a car.” He clarified. “So you’re going back?”  


“Hopefully. Akaashi is going to run a background check, I guess there was an issue a few years ago with a volunteer, but he didn’t go into details about it with me.” He explained. “But I’ve never done anything wrong, so I think I’ll be allowed to help out. I’m not actually allowed to touch the birds though. But hopefully Akaashi will show me how someday! And I can go whenever I want and stay as long as I want!” He grinned.  


Kuroo smiled at him, glad that his friend had cheered up some. Bokuto’s mood swings were frequent though, and it didn’t take a lot to get him down. It often didn’t take a lot to bring him back up either, but it wasn’t something Kuroo could handle all the time. He felt bad for thinking it, but he just wanted to get Bokuto out of the house sometimes. “Well, tell me about this Akaashi dude.”  


Within a few days Bokuto got a call from Akaashi telling him that he was more than welcome to volunteer with the shelter any time he pleased. Bokuto was there within 40 minutes. He grinned as he stepped through the doors to see Akaashi holding a huge owl sitting on his arm. He decided to not yell hello, since he could see the talons on that bird, and it just didn’t seem like a great idea to startle either Akaashi or the owl. Once Akaashi had gotten the bird back into the cage, he called out. “What’s that one named?” He asked, walking up to Akaashi.  


Akaashi looked over his shoulder to Bokuto, noting that he looked much more put together than the other day. He had his hair spiked up and he was wearing jeans instead of sweatpants. “Hello Bokuto-san.” He said, “Their names are all written on these little cards.” He said, pointing to a small card tied to the bottom corner of the cage, it listed the name of the bird, their species, their injuries, and their probable age.  


Bokuto nodded and read the little card. “Oh no, he was hit by a car?” He asked, “Will he ever fly again?” He asked, looking at the bandages on the wing.  


Akaashi smiled, “Probably. Most of the birds here will eventually be released. However, if there is severe injury we may end up keeping them. If they can’t fly, they can’t hunt and they’ll die. But we can still help them out by healing them and nurturing them. If they cannot be released they can be moved to zoos or other facilities that are more equipped to handle them.”  


Bokuto nodded and looked at the large bird, “What can I do?” He asked finally.  


Akaashi smiled, “I’ll let a few of the birds into the outdoor aviary and show you how to clean their cages.” He said.  


Bokuto spent hours there, it wasn’t glorious work, but he enjoyed seeing and learning about the birds. They weren’t all owls, they weren’t even all very large birds, but Bokuto loved them all. The human company was also pretty good. It took some work, but he was slowly getting Akaashi to open up about himself. Akaashi was also more than willing to put up with any questions about the birds that Bokuto had, he answered them diligently and never made Bokuto feel guilty for asking.  


Unsurprisingly, Bokuto started going every day. It didn’t take that long to get there, but it was outside the city. Akaashi was there from about 9 am to 7 pm, so Bokuto started getting there around 10, but he usually had to leave around 2 so he could get to practice for 2:30. He usually ended up smelling like bird, but it didn’t bother him. Akaashi even worked around his injury, not making him reach above shoulder level.  


“Akaashi!” Bokuto cheered, stepping into the rescue, “How many types of birds are there?” He asked, seeing Akaashi sitting at the small desk doing paperwork.  


“Roughly 10,000.” He answered promptly. “Though there are only about 450 species in Japan.”  


Bokuto sat down across of him and grinned, “That’s so many birds!” He peered over the edge of the desk at the paper. “What’re you working on?”  


Akaashi looked up at Bokuto, “Transfer request.” He said simply, “There is a zoo in Sapporo that is looking for a species of bird that we have here and they wish to take it off our hands.”  


Bokuto leaned back and pursed his lips, “Do they pay for it?”  


Akaashi laughed, “Well, technically, the purchasing of endangered species is illegal, so no. However, they do pay for the care we have given the bird and for the transportation costs.”  


“So technically no, but essentially, yes.” He said with a grin, which was matched by a small quirk of the lips from Akaashi.  


“Essentially, yes.” He parroted, then stood. “Well, let me get some of the birds out so you can clean up the cages.”  


Bokuto followed slowly after Akaashi, humming to himself, “Who’s going?”  


“Nippon.” He answered, “The Japanese crested ibis.”  


“Oh, the one with orange on his wings right?” He saw Akaashi nod and felt proud of himself for knowing who that was. He hadn’t quite memorized all of the cards for the birds, but he was pretty close. He memorized all the owls first. Then moved on to the next coolest looking birds.  


The longer Bokuto volunteered, the more he learned about Akaashi and birds in general. He had gone in with the intention of getting to see owls, and while they were definitely still his favorite, he was learning about all sorts of different birds. 

  


Several months after starting, Bokuto bounced through the door and grinned at Akaashi, late this day because of a doctor appointment. “Akaashi!” He grinned, “The doctor said I can go back to my usual practice, will you set for me?” He asked.  


Akaashi raised an eyebrow. “Here? I don’t have a volleyball, and I told you I didn’t play anymore.” He stated, turning back to the disgruntled wet bird, it was really something else seeing these large fluffy birds wet, they got significantly smaller.  


“Not here! Come to practice with me.” He exclaimed, moving around the tub to grab a towel to hand to Akaashi. “No one would mind, I’m mostly practicing off the team right now anyway because of my shoulder.” He said, “I can’t play in the practice matches just yet, so it makes more sense for them to practice without the starting wing spiker.” He said, knowing that Akaashi wouldn’t get confused by what he was saying.  


Akaashi fidgeted slightly, “I don’t know Bokuto-san. I haven’t played in over a year.” He said, as he took the towel from Bokuto and dried off the bird.  


Bokuto pouted, but let it drop, “Well, will you go to dinner with me then?” He asked, trying to sound cool as he changed the topic, but he knew he was blushing, which would give away how nervous he was to ask that question. He had been dancing around asking him out since he started coming several months ago.  


Akaashi jerked his head up to look at Bokuto, “Like, a date?” He asked, not wanting to misinterpret anything. It would be much more embarrassing to go out to dinner with Bokuto only to find out later that it was just as friends. However, Akaashi also felt like he was getting to know Bokuto pretty well. He was loud and energetic, but he was also genuine. Akaashi wasn’t sure Bokuto actually knew how to lie.  


Bokuto fidgeted, shifting from leaning his weight on one foot to the other. “Yeah.” He mumbled, “I know I’ve only known you for a few months, but I really like you.” He said, “I hope you don’t think it’s gross.” He mumbled.  


Akaashi managed to get the bird dried off and brought him back to the cage before turning towards Bokuto. “You’re sure Bokuto-san?” He asked, when Bokuto nodded enthusiastically, Akaashi smiled, “I would love to go on a date with you.” He finished.  


Bokuto stood silently while he watched Akaashi finish what he was doing. “Yeah. I’m sure! I wanna know more about you. I wanna know everything!” He said, gaining back his confidence after Akaashi said yes. “I have practice tonight, but I can take you out after.” He grinned, it widened when Akaashi nodded his head.  


“That gives me enough time to go home and shower.” He chuckled, looking down at his apron, which was always dirty.  


Bokuto nodded and pulled his phone out to text Kuroo to bring him some clothes for after practice. He knew Kuroo would give him shit at practice, but that was nothing new, Kuroo had given him nothing but shit since he started coming to the sanctuary. It probably had to do with how much he talked about Akaashi.  


After practice Bokuto was exhausted, but it was a good exhausted. He still had to be careful not to hit the ball as hard as he normally would, but just being able to spike again was enough for him at the moment. He grinned at Kuroo in the locker room, he had been right about Kuroo poking fun at him, but he really pulled through with the outfit. And he brought Bokuto’s hair gel, deodorant, and tooth brush, “You’re amazing.” He said, stepping into the hot spray of water to wash away the grime of both the sanctuary and volleyball practice.  


He stepped out a few minutes later and nearly dropped the bag as he noticed something he hadn’t before, “Kuroo!” He shouted, throwing the condoms and the lube at his friend, “It’s the first date!” He said, turning to where one of their teammates had collapsed laughing.  


“So? You tellin’ me you don’t wanna bang him?” He asked, shit eating grin plastered on his face, “Besides, you spend almost all day with him nearly every day.” He laughed, but he still put the supplies in his own bag. “I was gonna take Kenma out so you’d have the apartment to yourselves.” He waggled his eyebrows, causing some of the others who hadn’t left yet to join in on the teasing.  


Bokuto whined, but he focused on getting himself dressed. He looked in the mirror as he started to do his hair, “Thanks for everything else though.” He said. He had to admit that Kuroo had a good sense of style though. It was a sensible outfit, dark washed jeans and a maroon button up shirt. It really wasn’t anything special, but he always felt like he was no good at picking out nice clothes. Kuroo had even brought him better shoes than his everyday shoes, short black shoes. “These aren’t mine.” He said, looking towards Kuroo.  


“Yeah, they’re mine, but they’ll fit you.” He said, looking his friend over and adjusting where Bokuto needed it. “You look great. Is he here yet?” He asked.  


“Hmm.” He checked his phone. “Said there was a minor delay. He’ll be here in a couple minutes.” Bokuto took a deep breath to calm himself down, “Bro, I’m so nervous. What if the date doesn’t go well?”  


“Bro.” Kuroo deadpanned, “You literally are with him all the time. If he was going to get sick of you he probably would have already.” He said, patting his friend on the back. “You’re not gonna fuck it up. Don’t worry, just be yourself.” He smiled.  


Bokuto nodded, he supposed that Kuroo probably had a point. If Akaashi didn’t at least like him a little he probably wouldn’t have said yes to the date. Additionally, he was just a volunteer, it took virtually no paperwork to get rid of him. “Okay, I’m gonna wait outside for him.” He pulled his coat on and handed the bag back to Kuroo to drop off back at the apartment. He took another deep breath and stepped out of the locker room, making his way down to the front of the building. He half expected Kuroo to follow him, Kuroo had said he wanted to meet him, but maybe this was his way of giving Bokuto some space. Or, maybe he just wanted to get home to Kenma.  


Bokuto didn’t have to wait long before he saw Akaashi walking down the sidewalk towards him. “Whoa,” Bokuto said, a bit breathless from seeing Akaashi dressed in nice clothes. “You look great.” He mumbled, as he bit his lip nervously. He looked Akaashi up and down, taking in his appearance. It wasn’t a complicated outfit, just knee length shorts and a navy t-shirt with a button-up over top. The way the sleeves were rolled up showed off Akaashi’s arms. Bokuto wasn’t sure what it was about rolled up sleeves but it really got his blood flowing. He was surprised he didn’t embarrass himself by saying something stupid like ‘You have great forearms’ that would have been mortifying.  


Akaashi smiled gently at Bokuto, “So do you Bokuto-san.” He said, “How was practice?” He asked as they began to walk towards the restaurant, choice curtesy of Kuroo.  


“It was great! I missed spiking so much.” He said with a wide grin splitting his face. “Although I got teased a lot because of our date.” He laughed.  


Akaashi slowed down, a furrow on his brow, “Is it because I’m a guy?” He asked sincerely, he hoped that Bokuto wasn’t going to get made fun of because of him.  


“Hm?” Bokuto paused to look at Akaashi, “Oh, definitely not. Kuroo has a boyfriend too. In fact, a lot of the guys on our team are gay or bi.” He said, “I wonder if that’s a volleyball thing. Do only gay guys play volleyball?” He joked, reaching out to grab Akaashi’s hand, which successfully got him moving forward again, though he dropped it almost immediately because he thought it was too forward.  


Akaashi laughed at Bokuto’s slight tangent, “Okay.” He said, “I’m glad that I’m not the reason for you being teased at least.” He smiled, “So then why were they teasing you about your date?”  


Bokuto laughed his face flushing slightly, “Well I didn’t have time to stop at home on my way from the sanctuary, so I had to ask Kuroo to grab my clothes for me. Which is kind of embarrassing enough, but I didn’t want to leave early!” He exclaimed, “But then I opened the bag and Kuroo shoved a whole box of condoms and some lube in the bag too, that’s what everybody was teasing me about.” He said finally, “But I, I’m not ready for that yet.”  


Akaashi let him explain himself, a soft smile gracing his lips as he listened to him talk, “Well that is just fine.” He chuckled, “I don’t think I want to have sex on the first date either.” He said, earning an enthusiastic nod from Bokuto. Akaashi brushed his knuckles across the back of his dates hand until Bokuto got the hint and laced their fingers together. Akaashi loved Bokuto’s hands, they were thicker than his own, and rough from the constant volleyball practice.  


Bokuto opened the door to the dinner place and grinned, Kuroo had great taste. It took only a few minutes for them to get seated and get their drinks ordered. Bokuto even had the sense to ask Akaashi if he minded alcohol before ordering a beer. As long as he didn’t drink too much he figured he would be fine.  


The date went well, Bokuto managed to work a lot of information out of his date, like that he was a year younger than him, 23. Or that he had always loved birds and had gone into veterinary so that he could work doing exactly what he did now. He lived alone in a flat much nearer to the sanctuary than Bokuto lived. He came from a wealthy family, but he didn’t get along with them well because of his sexuality. Bokuto already knew that Akaashi had been a setter in high school, but he learned that he stopped playing when he went to college, though he picked it back up for the final two years there. He had thought about joining the neighborhood team, but he didn’t have the time to commit to it.  


Bokuto felt properly wooed by the end of the date. He didn’t think he could like Akaashi more than he already did, but he could safely say he did by the time they were leaving the restaurant. They walked in the direction of Bokuto’s apartment, slowly, and Bokuto didn’t hesitate to take his hand this time. “Are you sure you don’t want me to walk with you back to your apartment?” He asked as they stood outside his door.  


“I’m sure Bokuto-san. I’m just going to take the train. It wouldn’t make sense for you to go out of your way to see me home.” He said, setting Bokuto at ease. He supposed rules were different in same-sex relationships. Akaashi wasn’t a girl so walking him home wasn’t technically any more chivalrous than Akaashi seeing him home. They almost parted at the restaurant, but there was a train station near his apartment anyway and they both wanted to stay together just a little longer. “But maybe for our next date I can cook for you.” He said softly, squeezing Bokuto’s hand before letting go altogether, seeing as they had come to a standstill in front of Bokuto’s apartment.  


Bokuto’s eyes lit up, “You mean it? We can go out again?” He grinned, leaning forward.  


“Yes. I had a very good night.” He smiled and turned to leave, “I will see you at the sanctuary.”  


Bokuto made his way up to the apartment, humming happily to himself. Kuroo spied him from the couch as he entered and gave him his usual Cheshire grin, “How’d it go?” He asked, “Did you get laid?” He teased, moving so he was resting his chin on the back of the couch.  


Bokuto made his way to the fridge to take out a bottle of water. “Nope.” He said smiling, “But I did have a great time.” He said. Once he had the bottle of water he made his way over to the couch to plop down next to his best friend. “He said that our next date can be at his apartment.”  


Kuroo raised a brow, “Wow. You might get laid after all.” He laughed as Bokuto smacked his arm. “Sorry, sorry, I know, you don’t put out until the 3rd date. You’re a true lady.” He laughed, rolling his eyes.  


Bokuto frowned, “I just don’t see the point in sleeping with someone you may not be with for very long. I definitely don’t understand one night stands. The better I understand my partner, the better I can be for them.” He said, “You’ve only ever slept with Kenma and like one one-night stand, so I don’t really think you can judge me.” He huffed.  


“Bro, you know I’m just teasing you. It’s just been a long time since you dated anyone.” Kuroo said, leaning into Bokuto. “I mean, really, you probably haven’t had sex in years.”  


Bokuto nodded, “Yeah, I haven’t but I don’t think that matters. That’s what my right hand is for right?” He grinned, causing Kuroo to roll his eyes, “I’m going to bed, and maybe I’ll even jerk off since I didn’t get laid.” He laughed at Kuroo’s grimace.  


“Bro.” He waved Bokuto away so he could watch his show in peace.  


Bokuto didn’t end up jerking off, he fell asleep about 40 seconds after his head hit the pillow.  



	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to put this on the first chapter, but while the story is based in Japan like the anime and I did my best to write it with that in mind, if anybody sees any glaring inaccuracies then please drop a comment below so that I can fix it. Also, I would like to know how I did with characterization if anyone has any opinions on that! BTW, I have no idea how a bird rehabilitation center is run in America or Japan so I made some stuff up as I went along. I probably would have gone out and asked people since I couldn't find the information online, but they are currently all closed to the public because of COVID-19. Enjoy!

The next morning Bokuto woke up before his alarm went off and decided to go for a nice long run rather than roll over and go back to sleep. He was tired, but he was more tired of not doing anything. He needed to get back up to his normal training schedule now that he could work out fully again. He took his gym bag with him. He got a few funny looks when he showed up to the gym to work out already covered in a sheen of sweat. He grinned at the lady behind the counter as he scanned his card, she at least was used to him showing up like he ran a marathon. He pumped iron for well over an hour and a half, until he was dripping sweat onto the floor and his shirt was soaked through.  


After the gym Bokuto made his way home to shower and get ready to go to the sanctuary, luckily he checked his phone before stepping out the door because he found a text from Akaashi there.  


‘I’ll pick you up at your apartment. There is a bird that needs to be picked up.’  


It was short, but based on the timestamp Bokuto could tell he probably had a few minutes before Akaashi arrived. So, instead of leaving like he was going to, he went back to the kitchen and made 2 to-go cups of coffee for him and Akaashi. He couldn’t remember how it had come up, but he definitely remembered Akaashi telling him at some point that he drank a lot of coffee, and that he liked with just a little bit of cream and no sugar.  


‘I’m outside.’  


Bokuto grinned at his phone and walked out of the apartment with both cups in his hands. It wasn’t very hard to spot Akaashi when he got downstairs, seeing as he had the work vehicle with him. Bokuto knew Akaashi could drive because he knew that he had to pick up injured birds sometimes, but he had never seen him do it. Absently, he wondered if Akaashi was a good driver.  


He walked up to the vehicle, handing Akaashi one of the cups through the window before climbing in himself. “Good morning ‘Kaashi! I brought you coffee!” He grinned. Akaashi looked at the mug and smiled.  


“Good morning Bokuto-san. Thank-you, I like the cup.” He said with a slight chuckle. The mug was black with little great horned owls all over it. “They look like you.” He commented before placing the drink in the cup holder and putting the vehicle in drive.  


Getting the injured bird was less fun than he thought it would be. In the few months he had been working at the sanctuary he had only ever seen the birds after they had been bandaged up and were healing. This was the first time he saw one of the birds with the bone sticking out of its wing. They had driven pretty far before they had found the location where someone was waiting on the side of the road.  


Akaashi had parked and asked Bokuto to grab the first aid kit and the cage while he went to greet the people who had hit the bird with their car. Bokuto brought the stuff around and flinched at the sight of the bird. He probably would have assumed the bird was dead, but luckily Akaashi knew better than him. He watched as Akaashi sedated the large bird and put a splint on the wing. He wrapped the stunned bird in the small blanket that was in the cage, then worked the bird into the cage.  


He spoke briefly with the people who hit it, then they started their long drive back to the sanctuary.  


“Bokuto-san, are you alright? You’ve been very quiet since we started back.” He noted, glancing over at Bokuto as he drove.  


Bokuto hummed and straightened himself from where he had been slumped against the window. “I’ve never seen what the birds looked like before you fixed them up.” He admitted. “It was gross, I don’t think I could do what you do. I just like seeing them happy and healthy.” He said.  


Akaashi nodded, “It is not for the faint of heart.” He confirmed. “But it is worth it to save the lives of the birds that have been affected by traffic incidents.” He said, “The worst is when you can’t save them. Most of the time if it isn’t going to be possible, you can tell at the scene, but sometimes its internal and it’s not visible or noticeable, which means we’re going to do everything we can to help them and they still die.”  


“I don’t like that.”  


“No, me neither Bokuto-san.” He admitted softly. The rest of the drive was silent, neither wanting to talk about the mangled bird in the back of the van. When they finally did arrive back to the sanctuary, Akaashi asked Bokuto to grab the cage, “I’m going to let some of the birds into Aviary, would you mind cleaning their cages while I tend to this one?” He asked.  


Bokuto nodded solemnly. He grabbed the cage and brought it around to the clinic portion of the building. He placed it gently down on the bench and looked in at the bundled up form. He was worried about the bird, but he had never really thought about the birds that Akaashi couldn’t save. He just was woefully ignorant assuming that Akaashi saved them all.  


When Akaashi reentered the room he offered Bokuto a soft smile, “Thank you for the help Bokuto-san.” He said. He laid his hands over Bokuto’s hands, “Would you like to hold him?” He asked, gently guiding Bokuto’s hands into the cage to lift the unconscious bird out, making sure he supported it correctly. He helped him lay the bird down on the observation table, but when he started to unwrap it, Bokuto stopped his hands.  


“I don’t think I’m ready to see it.” He muttered. Akaashi smiled, and grabbed Bokuto’s hands again. When the small blanket finally revealed the bird underneath Bokuto sucked in a sharp breath. There was a little bit of blood, but for the most part the bird just looked like he was asleep, which he supposed it was. “Wow.” He said, letting Akaashi guide his fingers to brush over the soft underbelly of the bird. He hadn’t been able to touch any of the birds as of yet because they had very long talons and Akaashi was worried he would get hurt.  


Akaashi smiled, “Alright, I have to take care of him now, so go clean out those cages.” He bumped Bokuto with his hip to get him moving, and got to work unwrapping the wrappings and starting the process of setting the wing properly and checking to make sure there were no other serious injuries. He hoped he wouldn’t have to put it down. He had a feeling Bokuto would be devastated.  
  


When Akaashi finished he stepped out of the clinic and leaned against the doorframe, observing Bokuto from where he stood. He had clearly finished cleaning the cages, they all had fresh newspaper and clean water. The trash was even taken out and Akaashi was pretty sure that the floors had been swept. “Bokuto-san.” He said, “Would you like to learn how to hold one of the birds?” He asked. Bokuto had been volunteering for a few months now, and he felt like he could trust him. This was so much different than the last time. He knew Bokuto would never hurt one of the birds. He still had such a childlike enthusiasm about them.  


Bokuto’s eyes lit up, “Really? Akaashi! I’d love to!” He exclaimed.  


Akaashi smiled and walked over to the wall to grab two gloves off his wall, then paused, looking back at Bokuto, “How big are your hands?” He asked, receiving a confused head tilt in response. Akaashi rolled his eyes slightly and beckoned Bokuto over so he could make sure that the glove would fit him. Bokuto was significantly taller and wider than himself, so he assumed Bokuto would also have larger hands. So, he was rather surprised when Bokuto held his hands out to him and he placed his own palms flat against his, “I have bigger hands.” He said in surprise. “Well, my spare gloves will definitely fit you, though they may be a bit tight in the fingers.” He said. Akaashi’s fingers were longer, but thinner than Bokuto’s own. He handed the solitary thick leather glove to him.  


Bokuto took the glove and followed Akaashi into the aviary. When Akaashi stepped in the few birds turned to him, making a ruckus. Akaashi smiled and led Bokuto over to one of the owls. “Since most of them are caught as injured birds, they are mostly adults, making them incredibly hard to train.” He explained, “However, this one has a wing deformity, which you already know because you have studied all the cards on the cages.” He laughed. “So there is no flight risk. You should be able to hold him with no issue.” He said. Akaashi clicked his tongue at the bird until it jumped from its perch to Akaashi’s forearm where the glove protected him from the long talons. He then moved, leaning into Bokuto’s body and lining their arms up and clicked his tongue again so the bird jumped over to Bokuto’s arm. Akaashi stepped back, “He’s kind of heavy, so if your arm gets tired let me know so I can get him.” He said.  


Bokuto looked at the horned owl and smiled, “Will he care if I pet him?” He asked, turning his head to see where Akaashi was going.  


“No, we brought that one in as a baby so he is used to being handled, if he doesn’t like something he will nip though. Usually he doesn’t draw blood.” He chuckled. While Bokuto played with the owl Akaashi worked on getting the other birds into their cages and getting a name card for the new bird. He also looked over some of the other bird’s injuries, not at all surprised that Bokuto didn’t speak up about the bird being heavy. Bokuto was strong, but more than that, he was obsessed with owls and Akaashi was sure that unless he thought that he would drop the bird, he wouldn’t put him down.  


Bokuto reached forward, prodding softly at the bird’s belly, grinning wide when the treatment elicited a hoot. He continued petting all over the large bird until Akaashi came over to take him away. “Wait, ‘Kaashi! Can you take a photo for me?” He asked, reaching into his pocket so he could hand his phone to Akaashi. After getting the photo Bokuto handed the bird off so Akaashi could get him settled in. A few minutes passed before Bokuto huffed, “Kuroo said the bird looks like me.” He told Akaashi.  


He turned towards Bokuto and looked between the bird and him for a moment before smirking, “Kuroo is right.” He said.  
  


It wasn’t until several days later when Bokuto found himself standing in front of Akaashi’s apartment, fist poised to knock, but taking a moment to hype himself up first. Before he could knock though, Akaashi opened the door. “You’re going to overheat if you stand out here any longer Bokuto-san.” He said in lieu of greeting.  


Bokuto started, “Akaashi!” He exclaimed, “How did you know?” He asked, stepping into the apartment and pushing his shoes to the side of the genkan, taking the guest slippers Akaashi offered him.  


“It isn’t that long of a train ride to my apartment, and you said you were leaving an hour ago.” He explained, “So I assumed you were standing outside my door, gathering the courage to knock.” He raised an eyebrow at him. “I was correct.”  


“That’s so embarrassing.” He mumbled, but he followed Akaashi further into the apartment instead of turning around in shame and leaving. He looked around the spacious area, it was obvious that Akaashi made more money as a vet then Bokuto did as a volleyball player, but that didn’t really matter to Bokuto. The apartment was almost bigger than the one Bokuto lived in with 2 other people.  


Akaashi laughed, “I made yakiniku.” He said, “I remember you saying it was your favorite at some point.” He bent down to grab the small barbeque from inside one of the cabinets. “Could you put this on the table?”  


Bokuto helped Akaashi set up the table for their mini barbeque. “I can’t believe you remembered this.” He said, though he was very happy. Sometimes he talked so much he felt like there was no way anyone was still listening. But, Akaashi made him feel like he was being listened to. He wasn’t unaware of the major differences in their personalities, but he chose to ignore them. He was glad that he hadn’t minded Akaashi’s much quieter nature.  
  


Their dinner went, if it was possible, even better than their last date. Bokuto left Akaashi’s house grinning and didn’t even mind the light-hearted teasing he got from Kuroo when he got home. He was happy and as far as he could tell Akaashi was too. They had even watched a movie after their dinner and got to cuddle a little bit on Akaashi’s couch. Bokuto swore that the next time they went on a date he would make his move. He was going to kiss Akaashi!  
  


Their next date was just dinner at Akaashi’s home again, though Bokuto got there earlier this time so that he could shop with Akaashi and pay for the food, despite Akaashi telling him that it was unnecessary. Once they got back to Akaashi’s apartment, he helped him peel and cut the vegetables; Akaashi was better than him at it. They set the table together and ate together. “Did you want to stay and watch a movie again Bokuto-san?” He asked as he handed Bokuto the final plate to dry.  


“If you don’t mind.” He responded, placing the plate into the cabinet after he dried it. Once that was done the pair made their way to the living room to settle in for the movie. They chose a recommended movie off Netflix and Bokuto opened his arms to allow Akaashi to lean against his chest. “Akaashi?” He waited a moment to hear Akaashi hum that he was listening. “Will you be my boyfriend?” He finally asked, “I know that we’ve only had three-“ He was cut off as Akaashi turned around to look at Bokuto.  


“I would like that very much Bokuto-san.” He said, sitting up a little better so he could see Bokuto properly. Bokuto seemed to light up, grinning wide. He reached a hand up to cup Akaashi’s cheek, leaning in, slow enough that Akaashi could stop him if he wasn’t ready to kiss yet. Luckily, Akaashi did not seem opposed to kissing him back. Akaashi leaned into the kiss, moving one hand to Bokuto’s thigh to support his weight as he shifted closer. “You’re still not getting laid tonight.” He mumbled into the kiss, causing Bokuto to break away, laughing so hard he doubled over.  


Bokuto took a moment to compose himself before beaming up at Akaashi, “I told you I didn’t wanna get laid yet.” He said laughing, “Kuroo ruined our first kiss!”  


Akaashi laughed too, “I thought the kiss was very good Bokuto-san.” He said, leaning in to kiss him again, even though neither of them could stop smiling like idiots, so their kisses were sloppy and broken. They smiled at each other and leaned back in to watch the movie.  


At the end of the movie Akaashi stood up, stretched, and turned to look at Bokuto. He looked half asleep on the couch, though his eyes followed Akaashi’s form. “Would you like to go to the aquarium on Saturday?” He asked softly. He chuckled as Bokuto let out a huge yawn, but nodded.  


“I’d love to ‘Kaashi.” He said, standing up to stretch his own shoulders out. “I think now that we’re official and all, I should invite you over to meet my roommates.” He said, “Would you like to come over Friday evening after practice? Then we can leave from my apartment in the morning.” He said, “Oh, uh, we don’t have a spare futon, but if you don’t wanna share my bed I can sleep on the couch.” He finished, suddenly flushing, he felt like he just blurted out way too much stuff. And what if Akaashi didn’t want to spend that much time with him.  


Luckily for Bokuto, Akaashi didn’t mind his rambling. He smiled fondly at him, “I do think it’s about time I meet Kuroo and Kenma.” He said. “And I don’t think there will be an issue with sharing a bed.” He said as he stepped in front of Bokuto, placing a kiss on his lips again. “Now go home before you fall asleep standing up.” He said, walking Bokuto out of his apartment, though Bokuto still managed to get one more kiss in.  
  


That weekend, Akaashi closed up the sanctuary and made his way to where Bokuto had practice. Bokuto had given him instructions for getting into the gym. He managed to find the place okay and was happy to find the gym doors cracked open. He poked his head in the door and found himself watching as the setter tossed to Bokuto. He got to watch Bokuto slam down a spike and shout, “Hey hey hey!” He grinned and turned towards a tall lanky man with messy black hair, the person who was supposed to block that shot. Akaashi smiled and leaned against the doorframe to watch what was left of practice.  


“Can I help you?” Came a soft voice from beside of him. He jumped slightly, turning to look at a young woman.  


“Oh, I’m just waiting for Bokuto-san to be finished with practice.” He answered, “Am I not allowed to be here?” He asked, he would not find it outlandish to think Bokuto wouldn’t ask about the rules before inviting Akaashi to watch.  


“Oh, you must be Akaashi-san.” She said, moving the netting that stops balls from leaving through the slightly open door, “You can stand inside. They were supposed to be done by now, but nothing can stop them once they get fired up.” She laughed. Akaashi bowed slightly and followed her over to the bench to watch. He was just about to sit down when Bokuto noticed him.  


“Akaashi!” He shouted, leaving the court in the middle of the game, though he assumed it was just players of the same team on both sides. “You’re early!” He said, grinning wide.  


“Actually, you’re running late Bokuto-san.” He said, smiling, “You shouldn’t leave the court during the game, you’ll get in trouble.” Looking behind him he noticed everybody looking at them, it made him feel shy, “Does everybody here know we’re dating?” He asked softly.  


Bokuto slowed to a stop in front of him, “Yeah… Is that okay?” He asked, suddenly conscious that he unintentionally outed Akaashi to his team by stating that they were dating.  


“As long as everybody is okay with you being into men, then they probably won’t mind right?” He asked, he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding when Bokuto nodded. “Okay, go finish your match Bokuto-san, I can wait.”  


Bokuto nodded and leaned forward to kiss Akaashi’s cheek before hurrying back to the court where they all seemed to jump on him, nudging him and teasing him. Akaashi had to laugh at that, despite his cheeks burning in embarrassment.  


“He has a personality that no one can hate.” Said the girl he was standing near. “He is pretty good at rounding out our team. Him and Hinata, which is good since some of our other members are pretty antagonistic.” She chuckled.  


“I can understand that. Bokuto is a lot more charming than he probably thinks he is.” He was so kind and he didn’t let silence overcome a conversation. It was easy to tell that he cared about everybody he came to know.  


When the game ended, most of the people filtered out of the gym, and some had to be shooed out by Bokuto telling them that they could meet Akaashi another time. That made him chuckle. When Bokuto came up he grinned, tossing a volleyball towards him. “Toss for me.” Akaashi knew it was supposed to be a question, but with that gaze on him, it really wasn’t. Akaashi sighed and took his jacket off so he was just in a t-shirt.  


“Only once.” He said. They had a brief conversation about how Bokuto liked the ball tossed, but it was pretty useless since he barely used Japanese, using words that were mostly just noises. He moved to his position on the court and tossed the ball back to his boyfriend. Once they were ready Bokuto threw the ball in a high arc above Akaashi’s head so he could set it.  


They didn’t stop at one, and soon, several of the teammates had come back in to watch. It had only taken a few tries for Akaashi to figure out which toss was the best for Bokuto. He was so involved, so enraptured watching Bokuto hit his toss that he didn’t notice someone run up to the net until the ball was flying back past him to land on their side of the court. When he looked behind him he saw the same tall guy that had been blocking for him earlier. “Kuroo!” Bokuto whined, “Why did you do that?” He complained, putting his hands on his hips.  


Akaashi turned fully towards him and bowed politely, “Kuroo-san, it’s nice to meet you.” He said, then straightened up. That was when Akaashi had noticed the crowd they had attracted.  


“It’s nice to meet you too Akaashi. But if we don’t leave soon Kenma isn’t going to cook for us.” He said, grinning.  


Akaashi could see Bokuto pouting and chuckled. “Alright Kuroo-san.” Turning to his boyfriend he smiled, “Are you changing here or at the apartment?” He asked.  


Bokuto thought for a moment. “I guess I’ll just change at home. I didn’t really want to walk home all sweaty and gross, but I also don’t want to miss out on food.” He laughed.  
  


They managed to get back to Bokuto and Kuroo’s apartment quickly and as they all filed in Akaashi stepped over the threshold and took his shoes off. Bokuto handed him guest slippers, “I’m gonna go take a shower.” He said, “My room is the second one there.” He said pointing, “So you can chill with Kuroo and Kenma or go in there if you’re feeling overwhelmed.” He offered. Akaashi nodded and watched Bokuto bound off towards the bathroom to get cleaned up.  


Akaashi stepped out of the genken and saw the short man with dyed hair standing in the kitchen already talking with Kuroo. Akaashi walked up to them and smiled, “You must be Kenma?” He asked, bowing, “I’m Akaashi. It’s nice to meet you.” He said.  


Kenma offered his own smile and bowed in return, “Bokuto doesn’t shut up about you.” He said, “I made hot pot, I hope you will like it.” He said. Kenma didn’t really know anything about cooking until after he moved in with Bokuto and Kuroo. Everyone was so busy that they all had to take turns cooking, although some people were better than others. Namely, Bokuto wasn’t a great cook, but he tried.  


“Sounds great.” He said.  


The longer the two talked, the more Akaashi liked Kenma. He seemed very smart, and even though he was clearly in love with Kuroo, he gave him shit for everything. It was very funny to watch. He learned that he was actually pretty famous online, and while Akaashi didn’t spend much time watching vloggers, he promised to look at Kenma’s channel, in exchange, Kenma offered to help him invest his money for a greater return. When Kenma said he had to get back to the food, Kuroo guided him into the living room.  


“Can I ask you something?” Kuroo asked, plopping down on the couch and patting the spot next to him. Akaashi nodded, sitting down next to him. “Are you serious about Bokuto?” He asked, “Because I think he’s pretty serious about you. He talks about you all the time, and has been for months now. Usually if he gets a crush he’ll talk about it for a week or two and he just moves on, forgets all about it.” He explained, “He’s my best friend and I don’t want to see him get hurt.” He said softly.  


Akaashi was taken aback by this, he certainly hadn’t expected it. “Ah, it isn’t really any of your business.” He started, “But I can understand your concern. We are still pretty early in our relationship, so I don’t know where it will go or really anything about the future.” He took a deep breath and watched as Bokuto, dripping wet with a towel clutched around his waist, scurried across the hallway to his bedroom. “But I am serious about him.” He finished, meeting Kuroo’s eye.  


Kuroo nodded, “Alright, good.” He stood up and grabbed the remote. He handed it to Akaashi, “I’m gonna go see if Kenma needs help.” He said, leaving Akaashi alone in the small living room.  


Akaashi sighed and put the remote back down and stood, making his way to Bokuto’s room. He knocked lightly on the door, smiling when his boyfriend opened the door, “Can I come in?”  


Bokuto had managed to get pants on, but not much more by the time Akaashi knocked, “Yeah of course.” He said, pulling the door open wider and closing it behind him. “Everything okay?” He asked, grabbing his shirt off the bed so he can finish getting dressed.  


Akaashi nodded, sitting on the edge of Bokuto’s bed. “Yes Bokuto-san.” He said, “You have very interesting friends.” He said, watching Bokuto’s muscles move as he pulled on his shirt, then his socks.  


“They’re great.” Bokuto said, “They take good care of me, and each other.” He said. He leaned back next to Akaashi, “Kuroo has been my friend since high school.” He said, “He helped me through some hard times in my life. That’s kind of why I’m rooming with them instead of by myself.” He admitted. “I’ll have to tell you about that sometime.” He said.  


Akaashi nodded, “I would love to know.” He leaned in and kissed Bokuto’s cheek. “I want to know everything.” He said, echoing the sentiment that Bokuto had emphasized when he had first asked him out.  


Bokuto blushed a little, but reached up to cup Akaashi’s cheek, “Good.” He said, moving to kiss Akaashi, letting their lips slide together. “I wanna tell you everything.” He said, deepening the kiss.  


Akaashi pulled back a moment later, “I’ll dry your hair for you.” He said, getting up on his knees and positioning himself to kneel behind Bokuto. He grabbed the towel and started rubbing it into Bokuto’s hair, it was a lot fluffier than it looked when it was spiked up.  


He was just finishing up when a knock sounded on the door to tell them that dinner was ready.  
  


After dinner, Akaashi offered to help with the dishes, but he was shooed off by Kuroo. In fact he was shooed right into Bokuto’s bedroom. Bokuto sighed and pulled his laptop off his desk, “They’re probably planning on getting freaky in the kitchen.” He said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, “But we can watch Netflix on my laptop!” He pulled out two sets of headphones too, “Is that okay?”  


Akaashi blinked at Bokuto, they were planning on having sex while Bokuto and Akaashi were there? “Oh, uh, yeah.” He said, his mind still reeling from the revelation that Kuroo and Kenma had no shame. He made his way to the bed, “Can I take a shower? I don’t, can you see the kitchen from the hallway?”  


Bokuto hummed, “Nah, well, not all of it, so it’s probably fine. They might not even be doing anything, but I don’t know why else Kuroo would push us in here unless he was planning something.” He laughed. He grabbed a clean towel out of his closet. “But I think your bag is still by the door.”  


Akaashi took the towel, “Should I wait then?” He asked, brows furrowed. Living with other people seemed like more struggle than it was worth.  


“I’ll grab your bag, or you can just borrow my clothes. It’ll be big, but better than burning your retinas.” He laughed.  


Akaashi nodded and opened the door, “Okay, I can just borrow something, if you’re sure you don’t mind.” He stepped out of the room and took the few strides to the bathroom to get cleaned up.  


Akaashi emerged from the shower soon enough and shuffled back to Bokuto’s room with his towel held tight around him. Maybe he would have thought something of his nakedness if he hadn’t done sports in school, but it seemed silly to be embarrassed about his body now, even if Bokuto was in the room with him. He smiled at Bokuto and took the clothes handed to him. He chuckled when Bokuto turned his back to him so he could dress. It wasn’t technically needed, but he appreciated the thought. Once he shimmied into the pajama pants he told Bokuto it was all clear.  


Bokuto smiled and turned back around, he eyed Akaashi’s naked chest, “You look a lot stronger without a shirt on.”  


Akaashi raised an eyebrow as he tugged the t-shirt on, “Is that a compliment or not?” he asked, confused for a moment.  


“Oh! Uh, yeah. Ya’know, you just look lean with clothes on. Er, I mean, your chest- the-“ Akaashi was kind enough to cut him off by kissing him.  


“It’s okay Bokuto. Besides you’re definitely stronger looking than I am.” He ran his hands down Bokuto’s arms, “Must be all the spiking.” He said, leaning up to kiss him again. Bokuto moved his arms to Akaashi’s waist and pulled him closer to him. He hummed into the kiss and they both moved towards the bed.  


“There is a new David Attleboro documentary. I know we have to read subtitles, but I figured that would bother me more than you.” He said, pulling back from Akaashi. He was flushed and his breathing had picked up slightly. He had all the signals of arousal, and while Akaashi didn’t want to have sex either, he did wonder if there was something else stopping Bokuto.  


Akaashi hummed, “That sounds good. Or we could just talk.” He said, “You said earlier you wanted to tell me everything.” He teased.  


Bokuto laughed a little, “I did, but if we talk all night what are we gonna talk about at the aquarium tomorrow?”  


“Ah, yes, I forgot that you sometimes run out of things to say.” Akaashi retorted flatly. He truly enjoyed Bokuto’s company, with uproarious laughter and chaotic nature, silence was something the very rarely played a part in their conversations. Akaashi loved it.  


Bokuto thought for a moment before responding, in a quiet, un-Bokuto-like voice, “Am I too loud?”  


Akaashi pinched his eyebrows together, “I never said that.” He said, scooting closer on the bed until he was practically in Bokuto’s lap. “I’m sorry for teasing you, but don’t worry. I never get tired of hearing your voice.” He cupped Bokuto’s face in his hands again and kissed him. “I love hearing how excited you are about everything all the time. I Promise.” Akaashi felt more than heard the breath Bokuto let out, he felt it fan over his face.  


Bokuto nuzzled into the palm on his cheek. “I’m sorry, I- okay, I will tell you everything. But let’s finish getting ready for bed first.” Akaashi nodded his agreement and they got up to make their way to the bathroom to brush their teeth, Akaashi using an unopened spare toothbrush, before returning to the bedroom. Bokuto waited until Akaashi was bundled up in the bedsheets before turning off the lights and finding his way to him.  


Akaashi was still confused about the sudden drop in Bokuto’s mood, but he didn’t try to push him as he crawled into the bed next to him. He just stayed silent and still, laying on his side facing the larger man. Bokuto rolled onto his side as well, so they were facing one another. Akaashi reached out and took Bokuto’s hands in his, “You really don’t have to tell me anything you’re not ready to talk about.” He said. “I can wait until you’re comfortable.”  


Bokuto shook his head, “I want to tell you. I was serious earlier when I said I wanted to tell you everything.” He said sincerely. “Besides, some of it is important for you to know if we’re going to date.” He took a deep breath and snuggled down into the blankets until his forehead was pressed against Akaashi’s sternum.  


When Akaashi imagined them cuddling, he always imagined that Bokuto would be the one who wanted to do the holding, in fact when they curled together on the couch that was usually how it went, but Akaashi couldn’t deny the appeal of holding onto Bokuto this way. He was taller than himself and Akaashi wondered if Bokuto’s feet were hanging off the bed now, though he imagined not since he could feel his knees pressing against his thighs.  


Akaashi stayed silent while he waited for Bokuto to get his thoughts and feelings together. He rubbed gently at Bokuto’s back and pressed his lips into the crown of Bokuto’s head. It took a few minutes before Bokuto finally spoke up.  


“You know the very first day we met?” He started softly, continuing on when he felt Akaashi nod against him. “I only went because Kuroo was kicking me out of the house. I had that rotator cuff injury and I had been in a pretty bad slump for a couple weeks. I think Kuroo was sick of me moping around in my bedroom. Volleyball is my life. I’m on a professional team after all, and a shoulder injury like that can be career ending.” Bokuto nuzzled deeper against Akaashi’s chest. “And I already have a history of mental disorder, and I think it was too much for Kuroo.” He took a deep breath, “I was diagnosed with Manic Depressive Disorder back in high school. You know what that is right?”  


Akaashi nodded, “Also known as Bipolar Disorder. Yes, I know. So when you’re up you’re really up, but when you’re upset or down sometimes it can seem like the end of the world.”  


Bokuto nodded. “Yeah. I take a medication for it, but sometimes things slip through the cracks.” He said, “And I don’t want you to think Kuroo was being mean for kicking me out. We’re best friends, and I know he cares, but Kenma has issues that Kuroo has to try and manage too. I think he just got overwhelmed. I think he just didn’t know what to do. He knew I loved owls and thought that the sanctuary would cheer me up.”  


“He knows you pretty well, doesn’t he?” Akaashi laughed, “It worked didn’t it?”  


“Ah, maybe.” Bokuto laughed, “But I went back because I liked the human company. Not just because of Peanut Butter.” He said.  


Akaashi furrowed his brow, “Wait, I mean, I also enjoyed your company, obviously. But who is Peanut Butter? None of the birds have that name.” He said.  


“Oh, the great horned owl. I renamed him. Kind of. I call him that.” Bokuto felt Akaashi chuckling, it made him smile.  


“I’ll change his name plate.”  


Bokuto looked up at Akaashi, “Really?!” He exclaimed.  


“Yes Bokuto-san. That bird loves you and I bet he loves that you renamed him.” He laughed, “Maybe I’ll let you name all the incoming birds.”  


Bokuto grinned wide, shifting up to kiss Akaashi, “I’d love that.” He said, “Anyway yeah, I just thought that it would be important for you to know about that. You took it much better than I expected.” He said.  


Akaashi raised an eyebrow, “Well, I may not have expected it, but I like you regardless. You’re still the same Bokuto I’ve come to care for in the last half a year.” He said smiling, “Why did you think I would react badly though? You have friends who support you, why would I be any different.”  


Bokuto pursed his lips and picked at a thread in the shirt Akaashi was wearing, “Ah, I had a boyfriend back in high school.” He started, “We didn’t last very long, but it was a pretty rough relationship. He was nice enough, but he thought that he could somehow fix my mood swings. He always acted like there was something wrong with me, and –“ He paused and took a deep breath, “There’s nothing wrong with me.” He said fiercely.  


Akaashi kissed Bokuto’s forehead, “You’re right, there is nothing wrong with you.” He assured him.  


Bokuto smiled and snuggled closer again, “Thank you. We only dated like 2 months, but he ended up cheating on me too. Apparently the one time I had sex with him wasn’t good enough. I haven’t really dated very much since.” He chuckled sardonically.  


“Oh. Oh no, that’s terrible Bokuto-san.” He murmured, hugging Bokuto tightly, “That must be why Kuroo asked if I was serious about you.” He hummed, which caused Bokuto to rear back, shock written all over his face.  


“He asked you that?” He questioned loudly, “That was rude of him.”  


Akaashi chuckled and pulled Bokuto back down. “It’s alright. I suppose I understand a little better why he acted the way he did.” Then after a beat he added, “I said yes, by the way.”  


Bokuto flushed a little and moved to pull Akaashi into another kiss, though this one was significantly messier than the first one. He hummed and opened his mouth, licking his way into Akaashi’s waiting mouth. It didn’t take very long for them to get worked up again and Bokuto shifted so that he could support himself on one arm and lean slightly over Akaashi, “Is this okay?” He asked, out of breath, with his hand sliding along Akaashi’s hip, fingers just teasing going under the fabric.  


Akaashi took the moment to catch his breath before he nodded and, letting his fingers dig back into Bokuto’s hair, pulled him in for another kiss. Akaashi sighed as he felt the rough skin of Bokuto’s palm slide under his shirt.  


It felt like hours, they stayed kissing, sometimes with wandering hands. Akaashi loved the feel of Bokuto’s muscles straining under his palms with the exertion of keeping himself upright. They parted sweaty and hard. Akaashi took a deep breath and smiled at Bokuto. “We should go to sleep Bokuto-san. We have to wake up early.” He pointed out.  


Bokuto smiled back and nodded, “Yeah your right.” He said, he moved to lean over and grab his phone off the night stand. “8?” He asked, setting the alarm when Akaashi nodded. He plugged their phones in and settled back down into the bed. He curled up on his side facing Akaashi. He held his arms out and Akaashi rolled over so he was facing the wall and settled against Bokuto. “Well, that works too.” He chuckled, his breath fanning over Akaashi’s ear. He wrapped his arms around Akaashi’s midsection and cuddled closer. “Good night Akaashi.” He mumbled.  


“Good Night Bokuto-san.”  



	3. Chapter Three

Bokuto wasn’t sure he could explain the euphoria that came with waking up with Akaashi between his arms. He buried his face into the back of Akaashi’s neck and breathed in the scent of his body wash and the slight lingering scent of sweat from their late night activities. He felt Akaashi stir and mumble something incoherent. Bokuto chuckled and carefully extracted himself from the bed to start getting ready for the day.  


He checked the time and saw he had woken up nearly an hour and a half before they were supposed to wake up. He tried to be quiet as he pulled clothes from his drawers and closet he also made a quick trip out to grab Akaashi’s bag from near the door. He dropped the bag in the bedroom and went to get dressed in the bathroom. He changed into his running gear and left a note on the bedside table before heading out. He would make sure he wouldn’t run for too long, but Bokuto always needed to work out his restless energy first thing in the morning.  


When he came back he was sweaty, but grinning. Bokuto hummed to himself as he went through the process of cleaning up. It didn’t take very long, and soon enough he was walking into his room with a towel slung around his waist. He jerked a little in surprise when he saw Akaashi sitting up in bed. “Oh.” Akaashi said eloquently.  


Bokuto smiled, adjusting his towel so it was less likely to fall. “I thought you’d still be asleep ‘Kaashi.” He said, turning to grab out clothes for their date.  


Akaashi hummed, “Alarm.” He said, pointing to his phone. “I forgot to turn off my daily alarm.” He watched the water dripping down Bokuto’s back, watched it gather in the contours of his back. “Come ‘ere.” He mumbled, yawning a moment later.  


Bokuto chuckled and tucked the clothes under one arm. “Good morning Akaashi.” He said, leaning over to kiss Akaashi. He was a little surprised when Akaashi tugged him down by his hair and made the kiss a lot deeper than Bokuto was initially going for. He chuckled and pulled back a moment later. “You better brush your teeth before we leave.” He grinned, “I’m gonna go get ready.” He said.  


Akaashi blushed furiously, but nodded and laid back down in bed to wait for Bokuto to get back. He buried his face in Bokuto’s pillow and smiled to himself.  


When Bokuto came back, his hair was spiked up and he as dressed in black jeans and a black t-shirt with an owl printed on the front.  


“I’m done in the bathroom.” He informed Akaashi, “Or you can get dressed in here. I grabbed your bag.” He said.  


Akaashi nodded dumbly, struck a little dumb at how well the t-shirt fit Bokuto’s upper arms. He was almost positive he had never dated anyone as fit as Bokuto. “Sure, okay.” He said.  


While Akaashi got ready Bokuto decided to make breakfast. While he wasn’t the best cook out there, he was pretty good at some things. Mostly breakfast, since he was almost always the first one awake, despite also staying up late most nights, he usually ended up making food for everybody. He didn’t want to make anything elaborate and screw up though, since he had to impress Akaashi. So he made a simple miso soup and rice omelets. He even made enough for Kenma and Kuroo, but wrapped them and stuck them in the refrigerator.  


Akaashi appeared in the kitchen just as Bokuto was pouring the last of the eggs into the frying pan, but he didn’t make himself known. He simply watched Bokuto move around the kitchen. When Bokuto had plated the last omelet, Akaashi walked up behind him and wrapped his hands around his midsection. “Nice apron.” He said, resting his head on Bokuto’s shoulder.  


Bokuto groaned. “It’s so ugly.” He laughed. It had been a gag gift from one of their old teammates to Kuroo when they had announced that Kuroo and Kenma were moving in together. It had a lewd joke plastered across the front and it was bright pink with frills. Normally Bokuto wouldn’t bother with it, but he also didn’t want to change his shirt before their date if he spilled something.  


He turned around in Akaashi’s arms and kissed his forehead. “Breakfast is ready.” He said. Akaashi nodded and took one of the plates off the counter and let Bokuto serve him a bowl of soup. Bokuto tossed the apron over the back of one of the chairs as they sat down at the small table and made idle chit chat while they ate.  


When they were finished they tag-teamed the dishes and headed out. Bokuto hummed to fill the silence as they walked and Akaashi breached the distance with his hand. He had long gotten over society’s perception of homosexual couples, times were changing and many more people were free to express themselves; it was a shame that Akaashi’s family didn’t see eye to eye with him, but he wasn’t going to stop being himself to please them. The only times he really struggled was when he was around people who mattered to him, like when he had met Bokuto’s teammates for the first time. He had been nervous simply because Bokuto still had to be around them all the time, Akaashi didn’t want their relationship to cause undue stress.  


When they got there Bokuto insisted on paying for Akaashi’s ticket, even though Akaashi tried to resist. He was sure that he had plenty of time to make it up to Bokuto. “Whoa Akaashi! You can touch these ones!” He said excitedly, stepping towards the tank full of sea critters. He was about to stick his hand in the water when Akaashi grabbed his wrist.  


“Be gentle.” He said, letting go and sticking his own hands in the water. He was glad that Bokuto didn’t say anything about him telling him to be gentle. He didn’t want to upset Bokuto on their date, and since Bokuto’s hand slowed significantly on its way to touch the starfish, he counted that as a success.  


Bokuto grinned as they both compared the textures of each of the small animals before washing their hands and moving on to see the rest of the exhibits. They took a lot of photos, though Bokuto’s were almost all photos of Akaashi looking at whatever sea creature Bokuto wanted a picture of.  


They ate a simple lunch in the cafeteria there before staying to watch the dolphin show. They left at closing time, but neither of them really wanted to part ways just then. Bokuto rocked on his feet and held a hand out to Akaashi. “Wanna go for a walk in the park?” He offered, he got a smile and a nod in response.  


By the time Bokuto got home, it was long after sunset and he was starving. He opened the front door of the apartment, having parted with Akaashi at the train station, and called out to Kuroo to see if he was there. It was a moment before he got a muffled “Here!” called to him from the other bedroom. Bokuto rolled his eyes, “Dinner?” He called back, heading towards the fridge.  


Two seconds later Kuroo stepped into the kitchen in just a pair of sweatpants and leaned against the refrigerator. “I set aside a meal for you.” He said. He stood there assessing Bokuto as he thanked him and pulled the plastic wrap off the plate and placed it in the microwave. “How was your date?”  


Bokuto grinned, “It was great. We got to see whale sharks and seals and the dolphin show. I got to feed a penguin!” He said. He passed his phone to Kuroo, open to the gallery where Akaashi had taken a photo of him feeding the bird. Kuroo took the liberty to swipe through the other photos while Bokuto was distracted with getting his food out of the microwave. They were almost all of Akaashi. “We had so much fun.”  


Kuroo gave Bokuto a lopsided smile and handed the phone back. “I’m happy for you bro. You deserve a good man.” He chuckled. “You got good timing, I wanted to talk to you about something.”  


Bokuto nodded and leaned against the counter as he ate.  


“A really great pharmaceutical company called me back today.” He started hesitantly, “I’ve been putting in applications for internships or full time jobs. I mean, I love volleyball and I love being a pro, but it isn’t going to pay the bills forever.”  


“You’re quitting?” Bokuto asked, brows furrowed as he tried to imagine their team without his best friend.  


“Well, I have to interview for the position, but yeah.” He scratched the back of his neck. “But more importantly, I’ll start in about 8 months if I get hired. I told them I wanted to finish out the season with our team first. But our lease ends in April too. Luckily Kenma can move anywhere with his job, but after the final game we’re gonna move out of Tokyo.” He took a moment to assess Bokuto’s expression, deemed he was understanding so far. “We would have to move to Kyoto.”  


Bokuto’s eyes widened as it dawned on him. Really, Kyoto wasn’t that bad, two hours from Tokyo by train. They probably would be able to still see each other. And Kuroo would have to come visit his family. “Well…” He started, then stopped, furrowing his brow. “I’m glad for you. I hope you get the job. I’ll miss you, but your happiness is important.” Bokuto kind of felt like crying, but he also understood that chemistry was Kuroo’s passion, just like volleyball was his own dream. Who was he to deny Kuroo his dream? No, he would support his best friend. “But you have to visit all the time. And I’ll visit you too!” He exclaimed too.  


Kuroo felt like a whole weight was lifted off his shoulders and he grabbed Bokuto’s plate out of his hands and placed it on the counter before hugging him, tight. Bokuto returned the hug, burying his face in Kuroo’s neck and holding on tight.  


“Bro.”  


“Bro.”  


No more really needed to be said about the matter. It probably wouldn’t be all that different then before they moved in together, right?  


“Tetsuro you better not be cheating on me.” Kenma deadpanned as he padded into the kitchen to grab a water bottle. Somehow that simple joke seemed to lighten the mood immensely and they broke apart with a loud laughs.  


“I would never babe.” Kuroo said back, an easy grin on his face as they moved so Kenma could get his water.  


“I could never do that to Akaashi.” Bokuto stated as he grabbed his plate to finish his dinner.  


“Maybe you could move in with him when the lease ends.” Kenma suggested, also taking up space to lean against the counter. “I mean, I know you’ve only known him just over 4 months; and you only just started dating, but you guys seem super compatible. Which isn’t something I ever expected to say to you.”  


“Rude.” Bokuto shot back, “But maybe. I mean I wouldn’t be able afford this place by myself for long. For now I think it’s best to just wait and see how things go. I don’t wanna make plans yet. I can always move into a smaller apartment if I need to.” Kuroo nodded his agreement and when Bokuto set his plate in the sink the three of them moved towards the living room. Kuroo turned the TV on and selected a movie out of their recommended watches.  


The three settled in Bokuto leaned heavily on Kuroo on one side, with Kenma curled up against him on the other side. They felt like they were splitting up a family, even if they had time before anything even happened.  


  


Bokuto woke up sore from sleeping on the couch, in fact, they all were feeling sore. It was Kuroo’s alarm that woke them up. Bokuto stood and stretched, popping something in his shoulder. He reached for Kuroo’s phone and swiped to shut off the alarm. “Bro.” He said, shaking Kuroo the rest of the way awake. “Your alarm.”  


Kuroo blinked up at him, “Oh. I forgot to shut it off.” He mumbled. He looked at Kenma and sighed, “We should go to the bedroom.” He laughed. Bokuto slid his arms around Kenma’s small frame.  


“I got him, go.” He followed Kuroo, laughing when Kenma sighed and nuzzled into Bokuto’s chest, obviously oblivious to who was carrying him. Once inside the couple’s bedroom, Bokuto set Kenma on the bed and handed Kuroo his phone. “I’m gonna go for a run and go to the sanctuary.” He informed Kuroo as the other slid up behind his boyfriend and hugged him to his chest.  


Kuroo nodded sleepily, causing Bokuto to chuckle. He closed the door behind him and got ready for his workout. He grabbed his small gym bag on the way out, deciding to hit up the gym while he was out for his run.  


  


While he was at the sanctuary he tried not to let on that he was bothered by something, but over the few months that they had known each other, Akaashi had managed to figure out how to read some of his moods. “Bokuto-san, what’s wrong?” He asked.  


Bokuto pouted and looked up at Akaashi, dropping the wash cloth back into the bucket. “Kuroo might be moving out after the volleyball season ends.” He said, “Well, Kuroo and Kenma. To Kyoto.”  


Akaashi raised an eyebrow, surprised by the admission. He knew that if Kuroo moved to Kyoto that meant he would also be quitting the volleyball team.  


“Not for a while, and he doesn’t even know if he’s gonna get the job, but still. We’ve been living together for 6 years. I’m gonna miss him.” He said.  


Akaashi nodded, “Well, the volleyball season doesn’t end for a while. For now why don’t you focus on the time you have left rather than what is going to happen after he is gone.” He said.  


Bokuto knew Akaashi was right, he would just have to make sure he still spent time with his best friend. He had a distinct feeling that Akaashi would understand. Besides, they did spend nearly 5 hours together a day, except when Akaashi didn’t have work.  


Akaashi jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Would holding Peanut Butter make you feel any better?” He asked. He laughed at the enthusiastic nodding in response from Bokuto.  


  


It was a couple weeks later when Kuroo was told that he got the position. The interview had been online and they said that he seemed like a good match for the company. He was over the moon with happiness. He had talked to the coach earlier that week, even if it was still a little uncertain. He promised to stay on until the final match of the season.  


Bokuto smiled as he opened the door, “Hey ‘Kaashi.” He said, inviting him in. They were having a celebratory dinner in honor of Kuroo getting the job as well as Kenma finally hitting a million subscribers to his Youtube channel.  


“I brought some sake.” He said, letting Bokuto tug his coat off him as he kicked his shoes to the side. Once he was inside the apartment past the genkan he let Bokuto pull him in for a kiss. “I missed you at work today.” He mumbled into the kiss.  


Bokuto pouted, “I’m sorry I couldn’t come.” He said.  


“Oh yeah? Thought you hadn’t had sex yet.” Kuroo chimed in from the kitchen.  


Akaashi raised an eyebrow in Bokuto’s direction, he hummed, “I do hope that will change soon.” He said quietly with a smirk, before walking towards the kitchen to place the sake in the refrigerator. He couldn’t believe that it had been nearly a month since their first date and Bokuto hadn’t tried to get in his pants. He liked that though. It was cute and innocent. Totally different than his past experiences.  


Bokuto felt the blood rush to his face and he stood there in a slight stupor until he heard the voices floating in from the kitchen. He forced his legs to move and joined the other two there. Akaashi grabbed a knife and helped Kuroo cut the vegetables while they chatted about, well, Bokuto wasn’t entirely sure. Akaashi had a background in science because of his veterinary degree so he was pretty sure he was asking Kuroo about his opinion on several of the medications they have at the sanctuary.  


They all let Kuroo pick out a terrible old samurai movie to watch as they ate. Bokuto couldn’t help but feel that it was a shame that Akaashi fit in so well and now Kuroo and Kenma would be moving away. He had plenty of friends, but Kuroo was his best friend. Bokuto would miss him.  


At the end of the night, after the movie had ended and the dishes were done Akaashi stepped towards the door for his coat. “Thank you for inviting me for dinner.” He said, “If you need any help in finding an apartment let me know. I have a friend who lives in Kyoto who can help you.” He said, smiling.  


Kuroo leaned against the wall and smiled, “Yeah, thanks. I’ll get your number from Bo then.” He said, then followed Kenma into their bedroom.  


Bokuto smiled and stepped up to Akaashi cupping his cheeks and pulling him in for a kiss. He felt Akaashi smile against his mouth as he returned the kiss. “Would you like to spend the night Bokuto-san?” He asked, a small smile on his face.  


Bokuto grinned, “Yeah?” He checked, when Akaashi nodded Bokuto hummed, “This isn’t about earlier, right?” He asked, when Akaashi seemed confused he continued, “A-about the sex?” He squeaked, “Cause I’m not- I don’t think I’m ready yet.” He said honestly. He was a little embarrassed about being 24 and not feeling ready, but he hoped that Akaashi wouldn’t judge him too harshly.  


Akaashi chuckled and shook his head, “No Bokuto-san. I am absolutely fine and willing to wait until you’re ready.” He answered honestly. “I didn’t mean to make you feel pressured, I was just joining in on the jesting.” He said, “Now go pack a bag.” He said, pushing Bokuto’s chest.  


Bokuto grinned and nodded, he leaned in for a quick kiss before hurrying off to his room to grab his gym bag and clean clothes for the next day. On his way out he let Kuroo know he was leaving. “I’m ready Akaashi!”  


  


They didn’t do much when they got back to the apartment, but Akaashi put on a show and they cuddled up on the couch. After about 20 minutes Bokuto nosed at Akaashi’s hair, breathing in his scent, “Wanna make out?” He mumbled, he thought he was being sexy, but Akaashi burst out laughing, so Bokuto figured he did something wrong.  


Akaashi turned towards him, “Yes.” Bokuto grinned, about to turn towards Akaashi when he suddenly found himself with a lap full of him.  


Bokuto laughed a little and let his hands fall to Akaashi’s waist, “You’re so beautiful.” He mumbled, leaning in to kiss Akaashi.  


Akaashi flushed a little, but ultimately it made him so happy to be complimented. He kissed back, letting his hands fall into Bokuto’s hair and on the back of his neck. He leaned happily into the kiss.  


Bokuto opened his mouth slightly, he let out a soft breathy moan as Akaashi’s tongue poked gently into his mouth. He couldn’t get enough of kissing Akaashi. It might be his new favorite pastime.  


Hearing Bokuto moan sent a thrill through Akaashi and he pressed closer, jerking slightly when he felt Bokuto’s cold fingers slip under his shirt, but he didn’t stop him. He hummed into the kiss before backing off. “Bedroom?” He asked. “It’s warmer.” He reasoned, not that September was a cold month.  


Bokuto chuckled and nodded, “Yeah okay.” He said, when Akaashi went to climb off Bokuto’s lap though, he slid his hands under Akaashi’s thigh and lifted him up with him. Akaashi yelped and grabbed Bokuto’s shoulders, laughing as he was carried into the bedroom and deposited on the bed. And, for one moment as Akaashi looked up at Bokuto from the bed, he thought it was a shame that Bokuto didn’t want to have sex yet, but then he brushed that thought away. Bokuto being comfortable was way more important than Akaashi being horny.  


Bokuto grinned and stripped off his shirt before climbing on the bed over him. “Hey.” He said softly, smiling at Akaashi. He slipped his hands under Akaashi’s shirt to slip it off to join his own on the bedroom floor.  


Akaashi let him, then pulled him in to kiss again. Akaashi spread his legs to let Bokuto settle between them as they made out. It felt like hours as they kissed. The next time Bokuto pulled back to breath they were both very worked up. They were both hard, and they both knew it. Bokuto hummed, resting his forehead against Akaashi’s collarbone, “Fuck.” He said eloquently, “You’re so hot.” He huffed. He kissed where his head was resting and pulled back.  


Akaashi smirked and ran his hands down Bokuto’s chest, “I appreciate the praise, but don’t forget about yourself.” He squeezed Bokuto’s pecs with a soft laugh, “You’re quite attractive.” He said.  


“Play volleyball with me.” He burst out, causing Akaashi to laugh hard.  


“Where did that come from?”  


“I- I’m not sure.” He answered honestly, sitting up slightly. “I just, I really like you and I really like volleyball. And I loved spiking your toss.” He said.  


Akaashi chuckled and sat up and cupped Bokuto’s face, kissing him again softly. “I can always practice with you, but I don’t think I have what it takes to be a professional. I stopped playing almost a year ago when I graduated. I’m too out of practice.” He said. Plus the time commitment. Akaashi worked a full time job, volleyball was Bokuto’s full time job.  


Bokuto pouted, “Yeah. I know and you don’t have the time.” He said, he pushed his face into the hands on his cheeks. “But I’m selfish and I wanna spend more time with you.” He mumbled, causing Akaashi to chuckle.  


“I love spending time with you Bokuto-san, especially outside of work, but I can’t.” He said, “Sorry.”  


Bokuto shrugged, “I knew when I asked.” He said, “But you’ll toss for me again sometime right?” When Akaashi nodded Bokuto surged forward to kiss him again, and again. Akaashi laughed and they fell back against the bed. Bokuto ran his hands down Akaashi’s side, “We should probably go to sleep.” He mumbled, he felt Akaashi agree, but neither of them backed down.  


Akaashi moaned, his hands slipping across the sweat on Bokuto’s back as Bokuto sucked a hickey into his neck. Bokuto shivered at the sound and pulled back. “Oh my god.” He moaned, looking down at the slightly disheveled man. “We should definitely go to bed.” He said.  


Huffing a laugh, Akaashi nodded, “Yeah okay. Let’s go brush our teeth.” They got up and got ready to go to bed. Bokuto stared at Akaashi in the bathroom mirror for a long moment before Akaashi raised his brow, “Something the matter?”  


Bokuto frowned, “What are you doing?”  


“Taking out my contacts?”  


“Oh. I didn’t know you needed those.” He laughed, scratching the back of his neck. How had he not known that?  


Akaashi laughed and dropped the contact into the saline solution, grabbing his glasses out of the drawer and putting them on his face. “Well I don’t think it ever came up. And when I stayed at your apartment my bag was by the door, so I slept in them.”  


“If you can sleep in them why take them out? Doesn’t seem comfortable.” Bokuto asked, leaning his hip against the counter and taking in the slight difference in his boyfriend’s appearance.  


“Because sleeping in them dries my eyes out. It is less comfortable to sleep in them. It’s fine every once in a while though.” Akaashi reached forward to grab Bokuto’s hand, “Come on.”  


Bokuto stayed shirtless, but threw on a pair of sweatpants from his bag. Akaashi did the same, he slipped his glasses off and set them on the nightstand. They climbed into the bed, Bokuto faced the wall, pulling Akaashi against his back.  


Akaashi smiled and pressed his face into Bokuto’s neck, “You like being the little spoon?” He asked. He felt Bokuto inhale against his chest and fidget nervously.  


“Is that weird?” He asked, “I mean, you’re smaller than me, and-“Akaashi squeezed Bokuto,  


“Shh, it’s not weird. I think we all like being held rather than doing the holding sometimes.” He said. “Don’t ever be afraid to ask for what you want.” He said, kissing the back of Bokuto’s neck.  


“Thank-you.” He whispered.  


  


The next morning, Bokuto’s alarm went off and he didn’t want to pull himself out of the bed. He was so warm, Akaashi against his back. He snuggled back, feeling Akaashi’s arms tighten instinctively. “Bo.” He mumbled, slipping up in calling him Bo instead of Bokuto-san, “Do you have to go? You’re so warm.”  


Feeling Akaashi’s breath fanning over the back of his neck sent a happy chill down his spine. “I don’t wanna…” He mumbled back, twining his fingers with Akaashi’s. He knew his boyfriend didn’t have to wake up for another 2 hours, so he felt a little guilty that his alarm woke him up. He really sets the alarm as a precaution since he usually wakes up before it goes off.  


They lay there for a few moments before Akaashi pulls his hands away and pats Bokuto’s thighs, “Get going.” He mumbled, “You can use my shower and anything in it when you come back.” He said. Bokuto pouted but climbed out of the bed, pressing a firm kiss to Akaashi’s forehead as he moved over him, making Akaashi chuckle and swat at him. “See you soon.” He said.  


  


Bokuto felt a little pent up from last night, they both got worked up while making out, and now Bokuto had to run out his energy. He tugged on a t-shirt and tossed his gym bag over his shoulder. He spent almost the entire 2 hours at the gym, when he was finished he was soaked through with sweat and he felt great. He felt healthy and strong, and he was so excited to be back from his injury.  


When Bokuto returned to Akaashi’s home, he dropped his bag by the front door as he made his way into the bathroom to get cleaned up. Akaashi had showed him where the towels were, so he grabbed one of those before closing the door and starting his shower. He hummed quietly to himself as he washed up. It felt weird to him to use someone else’s body wash, but he liked that he smelled like Akaashi. He startled slightly when a knock sounded on the door. “Yeah?”  


He heard Akaashi from the other side of the door, “Can I come in? I have to pee.” Bokuto stared wide eyed at the door before clearing his throat and calling back to the affirmative. Bokuto quickly shuffled himself down into the bathtub, relaxing his head back against the tile as Akaashi opened the door. “Sorry.” He mumbled.  


“Don’t apologize.” He laughed, “It’s your bathroom.” He kept his eyes closed even as he heard Akaashi relieve himself. He almost wanted to look, to see what Akaashi looked like down there, but that was a huge invasion of Akaashi’s privacy. He opened his eyes when he heard the sink turn on.  


Akaashi smiled, “Have you washed your hair yet?” He asked, leaning against the counter. He was almost positive that Bokuto climbed into the tub to avoid standing completely naked in the middle of the bathroom.  


“Ah, no?” He said, cocking his head slightly confused as to why Akaashi was asking.  


“Would you like me to wash it for you?” He asked, “I’ll keep my underwear on and you can wrap a towel around your waist if that would make you more comfortable.” After all the years of sports, Akashi felt immune to the lack of modesty afforded in locker rooms and club rooms, but he didn’t mind that Bokuto still felt embarrassed about being naked in front of someone he liked. It was endearing.  


Bokuto bit his lip and looked up at Akaashi, “Okay.” He said softly, a bright smile gracing his features. Akaashi smiled back and grabbed a smaller towel for Bokuto to cover himself, thinner and easier to manage when it gets wet. Bokuto took the towel and stood wrapping it around himself. “You’re not wearing your glasses.” He noted.  


Akaashi turned his back so Bokuto could have some privacy, and stripped down to his underwear while he was at it, “That’s because they will fog up, my sight isn’t bad enough where I can’t see anything without them.” Bokuto sat down on the stool and told Akaashi that he was situated. He turned around and turned on the shower, “God, your muscles should be illegal.” He said, kneeling behind Bokuto with the shampoo and conditioner. Bokuto hummed feeling Akaashi’s hands in his hair.  


“Your hands should be illegal then.” He said, leaning into it. Akaashi found himself chuckling at that.  


When Bokuto was cleaned up he returned the favor and washed Akaashi’s hair, then left Akaashi to finish cleaning up while he got dressed. He knew Akaashi wouldn’t be in the shower very long, but he still looked through the kitchen to find the few ingredients needed to make miso soup for their breakfast.  


When Akaashi finally stepped into the kitchen he sniffed the air, “Smells good.” He mumbled, making his way to the coffee maker and starting some coffee. He hummed when Bokuto’s strong arms wrapped around him. “I like waking up to you in my home.” He said earnestly.  


“I like waking up here.” Bokuto said back, dropping a kiss on Akaashi’s neck.  


“Would you like to wake up here tomorrow too?” He asked, turning in Bokuto’s arms so he could look up at him.  


Bokuto raised an eyebrow, “Really?” He asked, a grin on his face. “I’d love that.” He said, “Oh, wait, I probably shouldn’t though.” He backtracked, “I have a doctor’s appointment in the morning, so it probably doesn’t make much sense.”  


Akaashi nodded, “First, that’s fine. Second, are you okay?” He asked, concerned. Bokuto didn’t seem sick so he wasn’t sure what the doctor’s appointment could be for.  


“Hm? Oh, yeah, I just needed to see my therapist.” He explained, “I only see her twice a month now.” He said, he had made great strides in dealing with his mental health since he was in high school.  


Akaashi nodded and smiled, “I didn’t know you had a therapist. I’m glad though, that you don’t have to deal with your bipolar all alone.” He said.  


Bokuto beamed, “Thanks Akaashi.” He mumbled. “Can I stay over tomorrow night though?” He asked. Akaashi nodded and leaned up to kiss him again.  


  


The days passed quickly for everybody, “’Kaashi!” Bokuto grinned, seeing him step into the gym where they were practicing. “Toss for me!”  


“Hello Bokuto-san.” Akaashi said. “You are going to make your setter upset if you keep asking me to toss for you.” He was smiling though.  


Bokuto looked behind him, “Tsum-Tsum it’s okay right?”  


A guy with golden blonde hair on top with a lazy smirk on his face, “Long as ya don’t think he’s better than me.” He said back, passing the volleyball their direction, “Let’s see what ya got.” He said.  


Akaashi raised his eyebrows, “Really?” He said, catching the volleyball in his hands. He set the ball down and pulled his coat off so he had better mobility in his arms and moved to the court, “I feel like I’m intruding.” He said. Bokuto was grinning so brightly at him though, so he continued forward. Bokuto reached forward and pulled Akaashi in for a soft kiss.  


“Thanks for coming.” He hummed, beaming at his boyfriend.  


“Bo talks about you all the time!” Akaashi looked over to see a short red-head talking to him.  


“Oh yeah?” He asked, smirking and looking at Bokuto, whose grin didn’t fade at all. He clearly was not embarrassed to be caught boasting about his boyfriend.  


“He said you were a great setter in high school, that you’re really pretty, you work with birds, and good cook!” He said.  


Akaashi huffed a laugh and looked at his boyfriend, “All that?” He asked. Bokuto just shrugged and pushed Maya off the court. Akaashi took a moment to introduce himself to all the players and he asked about how they prefer their tosses. He looked across the court, they were also wearing the same jersey, so he assumed they were also team members. He saw Maya move to the other side of the court.  


“Now we’re even.” Maya said. “We were short a player anyway.” He laughed.  


Akaashi took a deep breath and got himself in the mindset he needed to play a game. When he opened his eyes he felt more focused.  


  


Their side didn’t win the practice match, but Akaashi was grinning at the end of it. Bokuto stood by the net, staring at him and beaming. “Oh my god I love you.” He said in a rush.  


Akaashi stared back at him, silent in shock, his grin slipping off his face. In fact, everybody seemed to grow completely silent. They all knew the two of them had only been dating about two months. They hadn’t even known each other a full year. Even Hinata hadn’t been this quiet since Akaashi had walked in, and he hadn’t talked all that much while they played.  


After a moment Bokuto seemed to realize what he said and his eyes widened. “Oh.”  


Akaashi didn’t let Bokuto spiral though, he rushed up to Bokuto and kissed him. He held Bokuto’s cheeks between his hands until Bokuto hesitantly kissed him back. He heard Kuroo wolf whistle from behind them and he pulled back. “I’m pretty sure I love you too.” He said with a soft smile. They pulled away from each other.  


“Thanks for setting for me.” He said.  


“Me too!” Hinata yelled, “You’re a really good setter!” He said, rushing up to them.  


Akaashi turned towards him, “Well I have been playing volleyball since middle school.” He said. He chuckled and ruffled the other’s hair, “You surprised me with your jump.” He told him.  


Akaashi liked most of the players on Bokuto’s team, even the ones who weren’t starters. Although there was no denying that the other setter and Kuroo were definitely antagonistic.  


  


Bokuto was humming as they walked back to Akaashi’s apartment together. Akaashi was smiling to himself. He may have forgotten just how much he loved volleyball. He missed it even. “Your tournaments are starting soon right?” He asked, looking over at Bokuto as they walked along.  


“Yeah. In a few weeks.” He said.  


Akaashi unlocked the door and let Bokuto into the apartment. “I’m sure your team is going to do amazing. You have incredible players.”  



	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four  


That night, something changed. Akaashi wasn’t sure what it was, but this time as they laid in Akaashi’s bed making out, Bokuto didn’t back down like normal. Bokuto laid flat on his back, holding onto Akaashi’s thighs where he sat on his lap, leaning over him to kiss. They were devoid of their shirts, like usual. Bokuto moaned into the kiss when Akaashi pulled gently at his hair. He echoed that moan when Bokuto squeezed his thighs, moving his hands higher until he was cupping his ass.  


Akaashi hummed into the kiss then kissed his way down Bokuto’s throat, sucking on his pulse point until there was a dark hickey there. He sat up, breathless and grinning. “You look good like this.” He said, running his hands down Bokuto’s chest. Akaashi leaned forward to press a chaste kiss against his mouth. “Can I touch you?” He asked. That still hadn’t done much beyond kissing and occasionally, accidentally grinding.  


Bokuto’s eyes widened slightly and he nodded, “Yes please.” He said, moving his hands to shimmy out of his pants. “I wanna touch you too.” He added after a moment.  


Once they had both tossed their pants on the floor, Akaashi straddled Bokuto again, though this time they were both sitting up. They went back to kissing without much fanfare, though after a few moments of kissing Akaashi reached between them to palm at the bulge in Bokuto’s underwear. He felt more than heard Bokuto moan underneath him, fueling him on.  


Akaashi was gentle as he pushed his hand into Bokuto’s underwear, wrapping his hand around the silky skin. He watched, enraptured, as Bokuto’s eyes fluttered shut and his head tipped back against the headboard, and soft moan escaping from between his lips. It didn’t take very long for Akaashi to find what Bokuto liked.  


Bokuto opened his eyes again and looked down so he could get his own hand on Akaashi, causing Akaashi to moan. He leaned forward again to kiss him. Neither of them lasted very long. Bokuto broke off their increasingly sloppy kiss to rest his head on Akaashi’s shoulder, moaning softly. His strokes against Akaashi grew sloppy too, but Akaashi didn’t care. He was thoroughly enjoying watching Bokuto fall apart because of him. When Bokuto finally came, he sped up his own hand, lifting his head to kiss Akaashi again. “You’re amazing Akaashi. So beautiful.” He was a little breathless looking at Akaashi.  


Akaashi was usually pretty composed, even when they were making out. But now… Akaashi’s hair was mussed, his lips were slightly swollen, his face was red, and he was letting out little hitching moans every time Bokuto’s hand brushed over the head of his dick. Akaashi moaned louder, his head rolling back on his shoulders and his hips jerking in Bokuto’s hand slightly, “Ah, Bokuto!” He moaned, releasing between them.  


Bokuto worked Akaashi through it before grabbing his t shirt off the floor to wipe them clean. Once they had both caught their breath, Akaashi chuckled, “That was wonderful Bokuto-san.” He mumbled, leaning forward to press a sloppy, soft, kiss against his partner’s lips.  


“Now that I’ve touched your dick I think you should drop the san.” He chuckled.  


“Hm, I suppose so Bokuto.” He said, laughing with him. “We should get cleaned up.” He said, tucking himself back into his underwear and standing up. Bokuto nodded and joined him.  


  


“What are your parents like?” Akaashi asked about a week after the last time they spent the night together. He was kneeling down across from Bokuto bathing a new bird they just had delivered to them. It had been found in an oil drum, somehow not dead. Akaashi didn’t even know how the little guy would have gotten in there, but he would have to keep an eye on it to make sure it hadn’t ingested any of the oil.  


Bokuto hummed, rubbing the bird’s feet with a wash cloth. “They’re pretty great.” He answered. “My mom especially. She’s really nice.” He met Akaashi’s eyes and frowned. “Oh, I don’t wanna brag though. I know you said you don’t get along with your parents.”  


Akaashi shook his head, “I wouldn’t have asked if it would have bothered me.” He said. “I’m glad that you get along with them.”  


Bokuto nodded, “Yeah! I was so scared when I came out, I was like, crying and stuff.” He said, leaning back and watching Akaashi as he worked. “I made sure to do it while my dad was away ‘cause he can be scary when he’s mad.” He chuckled, “I think I was like 15? She let me sleep in her bed and it really calmed me down.”  


Akaashi laughed and smiled at him, “We got a mama’s boy here, don’t we?” He said.  


Bokuto blushed a little, he ducked his head and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah maybe. I’ve always been close with her.” He said. “She had pretty flexible hours because she is a massage therapist, but she sees her clients at home. So she was always around when I needed her. But my dad travels a lot for work, so while I got along with him, and I love him, it wasn’t quite the same.” He said.  


Akaashi nodded, “I understand that well enough.” Akaashi said. He stood up with the small bird in his hands. “Can you turn on the heating lamp?” They walked towards the small cage with a lamp in it. During the summer Akaashi didn’t worry about making sure he used the heating lamps because it was never cold enough to affect the birds, but this one was so small he wanted to be on the safe side and keep it warm. “My mom travelled a lot for work and my dad worked long hours. They still do I suppose.” He said after a while.  


Bokuto nodded, grabbing the falconry glove as they stepped into the aviary. “Can you teach me how to get Peanut Butter to come to me?” He asked. “Also, what do your parents do?”  


Akaashi hummed and moved towards his boyfriend to show him how to click his tongue properly and make the owl move towards him. Once Akaashi got him on his arm he had Bokuto imitate him and get the owl to move again. “My father is an executive manager.” He said, “He made a lot of money, but I never really saw him. And my mom is an airline pilot.” Both his parents made a lot of money, but Akaashi would have rather been poor and got to spend time with them. “They were never really around to raise me, only after I told them I was gay. And even then it was just so they could monitor what I was doing to make sure I wasn’t seeing any men.”  


Bokuto was silent as Akaashi spoke, petting the bird softly, when it seemed that Akaashi was done and he had lapsed into silence, Bokuto reached his free hand out to ruffle Akaashi’s hair. “I’m sorry ‘Kaashi.” He mumbled. He leaned in and kissed Akaashi’s forehead.  


Akaashi smiled at Bokuto. “It’s okay, I’m here now, and I have you.” He lapsed into silence again as he pulled away from Bokuto to finished tending to the birds.  


  


The weekend before their games were set to start, Kenma and Kuroo went away for a short vacation. That weekend Bokuto was pretty excited. He had been staying with Akaashi a lot lately, but this time he had the apartment all to himself and he wasn’t going to squander that chance. He started out his day by going for a longer than usual run, then he spent extra time at the gym. He even managed to run into Maya and wrangled him into practicing for a couple hours too. By the time he returned to the apartment he was worn out and it was well past midmorning, but not quite noon. He made himself a quick lunch before getting down to what he had planned for the afternoon.  


Bokuto grabbed the shoe box out from under his bed and sat it on the bed. He had already laid out a couple towels to make clean up easier. He fished the materials out of the box and set them on the towel before sliding the box back under the bed. Grinning to himself, he stood and pulled his curtains closed all the way and left to take his shower.  


He made sure he was very thorough in cleaning up before grabbing two bottles of water and another small hand towel. He returned to his bedroom and shut the door. Bokuto dropped the water bottles on his night stand and laid down on his bed, bare as the day he was born.  


Bokuto and Akaashi still hadn’t had sex, which was good. He wanted to work up to it at their own pace. Bokuto had felt rushed in high school and then his boyfriend had cheated on him, it made him insecure. It wasn’t a great feeling. In fact, it had put Bokuto off dating for a long time.  


Kuroo, the ever supportive best friend, had tried to get him laid several times, but Bokuto always got nervous or would panic and it usually ended in unsatisfactory hand jobs in a bathroom at a club. He had a few of those in his past, which he wasn’t proud of, but it was what it was. He was less nervous with Akaashi now, and their hand job had gone very nicely. Bokuto considered himself ready to go forward. He knew Akaashi was waiting on him, and he respected him for it.  


Normally, Bokuto would use porn to get off, even if it wasn’t the most realistic. This time however, Bokuto felt ready to go just from remembering the other night. It had been so hot, a bit sweaty, but feeling Akaashi’s hand on him had been amazing. He had seen those hands do amazing work with the birds, possibly more amazing sets, he had seen him cook. He had held those hands, and Bokuto was obsessed with them. He was honestly obsessed with all of Akaashi though.  


He worked himself up slowly, imagining it was Akaashi’s hand on him again. Thinner fingers, but longer, with less callouses. Bokuto moaned as he wrapped his hand around his dick, it was already half hard from his slow touches and imagination. He wondered what Akaashi’s mouth felt like, he hoped that Akaashi was into blow jobs. He stretched to grab the lube to wet himself so he could move his hand a little faster.  


Noises filled the rooms, wet slipping noises from Bokuto’s hand stroking over his dick, but also small moans, or gasps, or sometimes a muffled cry of “Keiji!” When Bokuto felt himself nearing the edge he slowed, then stopped. He was gasping for breath as he turned himself over on the bed with his ass in the air. He reached for the lube again so he could work himself open.  


He still went agonizingly slow, avoiding his prostate to drag out the experience. When Kuroo and Kenma were around Bokuto didn’t have the liberty to go slow or even play with his ass. It was always him and his right hand in the shower. Not this time though.  


Once Bokuto was pushing three fingers into himself he groaned, finally letting himself touch his prostate. He got some more lube, although he wasn’t sure he needed it. He could feel lube running down the inside of his thighs. Never too much lube though!  


Bokuto reached out for his brand new vibrator. He had ordered it a few weeks ago and had been patiently waiting to use it. He had never used a vibrator before, and it looked a lot different than his dildo. Bokuto slid a condom over the silicon toy before reaching behind himself to push it in.  


The moan that exploded from Bokuto as he turned it on and pushed it in bounced around the room. Bokuto groaned and buried his face in his pillow. The stretch was definitely less than some of the other things in his box, but the vibrations were incredible, and it was only on the first setting! Bokuto gripped the end, sliding it in and out of himself at a steady pace. He could feel the comfortable pull on his muscles from the slightly odd angle of his arm, but it was a stretch he welcomed.  


Bokuto pulled it out enough to turn the setting up before pushing it back in, when he hit his prostate with it Bokuto thought he was going to die. He groaned loudly and rocked his hips in tandem with his hand.  


He worked himself up slowly again, though it was much harder to stop himself now that he had something inside him, it felt so much better than his right hand. He jumped when he heard his phone ring. He took a moment to catch his breath before grabbing his phone. He didn’t have any plans to answer it, he just wanted to mute it, but he saw that it was Akaashi.  


“’Kaashi?” Bokuto answered, trying and failing to keep the breathiness out of his tone. He let go of the vibrator and wiped his hand off on one of the towels so he could hold his phone with a slightly less sticky hand.  


There was a pause on the other end of the line before Akaashi spoke again, “Are you alright Bokuto-san? You sound winded. I didn’t interrupt your work out did I?” He asked.  


Bokuto chuckled at that, trying to hold perfectly still since the vibrator was still on and if he moved too much it would brush against his prostate. “No, you didn’t. What’s up?” He asked, biting his lip with a coy grin on his face.  


Akaashi hummed, “Well, I was at the sanctuary and one of my coworkers wanted to pick up a few hours, so I was wondering if you wanted to see each other today?” He finished with a question.  


Bokuto groaned at the combination of Akaashi’s voice and the vibrations inside him, “Ah, yeah, I’m a little busy now, but you could join me if you hurry.” He said.  


Akaashi’s eyebrows shot up at the sound of Bokuto’s groan. It sounded familiar, it definitely wasn’t a pained groan. It sounded like—“Are you masturbating?” He asked, shocked that Bokuto would have answered the phone while he was busy doing that. Then he came to another realization, “And you want me to join you?”  


Bokuto laughed, though with his laugh came a long moan since when his body shook with the laugh the vibrator moved again inside him. “Yeah. Spare key is taped to the underside of the mailbox.” He answered. “If-“ Bokuto jerked, gasping, he reached behind himself to pull the vibrator out when he felt it move deeper, but when he tried to wrap his fingers around the small amount still sticking out of him and only pushed it deeper. “Fuck, Akaashi!” He groaned. The panic only set in when the vibrator slipped the rest of the way into him. It felt great, and he came, crying out Akaashi’s name. Only a moment after that though he could tell that he couldn’t get the vibrator out.  


He panicked, “’Kaashi?” He whimpered, “I- I fucked up.” He groaned as he forced himself to sit up, feeling the vibrator shift inside him.  


“What? Bokuto, are you hurt?” He asked, he could hear shuffling on the other end of the line.  


“I- uh, can you drive here? I think I might need to go to the hospital.” Bokuto sounded like he was freaking out a little, so Akaashi didn’t even hesitate to turn towards the company vehicle instead of the train station.  


“Yeah. I can be there in 10 minutes.” He said, climbing into the car. “I can’t drive and stay on the phone though. I’ll see you soon.” He waited for a response before hanging up and starting the drive to his boyfriend’s apartment.  


While Bokuto waited the agonizing 10 minutes, he drank one of his bottles of water and waddled over to pull a pair on underwear and a t-shirt back on. Every move sent a jolt through his body, and he was already hypersensitive from coming only a few minutes ago.  


  


Akaashi didn’t bother knocking, he just grabbed the key and let himself into the apartment, “Bokuto?” He shouted, making his way towards Bokuto’s bedroom. He knocked and opened the door when he heard a weak “come in” from the other side of the door. He pushed into the room and stopped short at the sight. Bokuto was sat on the bed, he was only wearing a pair of underwear and a t-shirt. He was covered in sweat and… lube? Akaashi let his eyes roam over the wetness on the inside of Bokuto’s thighs, then at the towels on the bed. “Are you okay?”  


Bokuto looked up miserably at Akaashi when he came into the bedroom. He tried not to shift under that gunmetal blue gaze roaming over his body. “Yeah. I uh-“ He wasn’t sure he could flush any brighter, but he dropped his head and looked at his hands, folded in his lap. “I let go of my vibrator to answer the phone and it, uh, it slipped inside?” His shoulders slumped and he was so embarrassed he wanted to cry. He was sure that Akaashi would find it absolutely disgusting.  


Akaashi sucked in a breath as he came to grips with the new information. Not to be stereotypical, but Akaashi kind of assumed that he would end up being on the bottom when they did eventually have sex. He stepped further into the room. “I see.” He said, much calmer than he actually felt. “Well, you’re probably right about needing to go to the hospital.” He said. When he was finally standing in front of Bokuto he could hear a very faint buzzing sound. He paused, “Oh my God, is it still on?” He asked kneeling in front of Bokuto, so that he could finally see his boyfriend’s face.  


Bokuto looked at Akaashi’s face before looking away again, “Yeah. The buttons for changing the settings are on the toy itself.” He muttered.  


Akaashi hummed and nodded. He leaned forward to press his forehead against Bokuto’s, “Hey.” He mumbled, “I hope you know that this doesn’t change anything.” He mumbled, finally getting Bokuto to meet his eyes. “I’m a little surprised, but I still like you. Even if you do dumb things sometimes.” He said, letting a soft smile grace his features.  


Even if the laugh Bokuto let out ended in a pained moan, Akaashi still counted it as a win. “Sorry, I just, you know, usually the bigger guy is the top or whatever, but I don’t- I like it this way.” Akaashi nodded and stood up to grab a pair of pants, when he returned he helped Bokuto slide them up Bokuto’s muscular legs. He tried not to pay too much attention to how much of a mess Bokuto made with the lube. Or the hard dick just inches from his face. He helped Bokuto stand up and he pulled the pants up to rest on Bokuto’s hips. He rested his hands there for a moment and leaned in to kiss Bokuto’s pouting lips.  


“Let’s go to the hospital.” He said, he knew that even if his coworker hadn’t given him the rest of the day off, he would have left to be with Bokuto. Sure it wasn’t a life threatening injury or anything, but Bokuto was obviously distraught over this and Akaashi wanted to comfort his boyfriend.  


  


When they arrived at the hospital, Akaashi sent Bokuto to sit in a chair, then he went through the check in process for him. Obviously Bokuto still had to fill out the paperwork because Akaashi didn’t know everything about Bokuto. It didn’t take very long to get the check in done though.  


Bokuto was unusually quiet as they sat, clearly trying not to fidget. Akaashi reached out to place his hand on Bokuto’s knee. “How are you holding up?” He asked. Bokuto looked over at him and took a deep breath and nodded.  


“I’m alright. It hurts now though. It’s really sensitive.” He complained. He jerked and had to bite back a pained groan when he heard his name being called. Akaashi helped Bokuto up and they moved together towards the doctor.  


Akaashi smiled at Bokuto, “I’ll wait for you.” He said, letting go of Bokuto’s hand when they reached the doorway.  


Bokuto turned towards Akaashi, he looked a little scared, “You’re not coming with me?” He asked.  


“I didn’t think you’d want me to, but I can.” He said, “I thought that it would be too awkward for you.” Bokuto went to shuffle his feet, but stopped before he could make that mistake.  


“Please?” Akaashi smiled and nodded. He took Bokuto’s hand and together they stepped forward, following the nurse into the examination room. Before Akaashi sat down in one of the chairs near the exam bed, he helped Bokuto up to sit on the exam table.  


The nurse smiled at the pair before her attention focused on Bokuto. She pulled up a clipboard to look at the information on it before sitting in front of the computer to begin entering the information. “Your name is Bokuto Koutarou?” She asked, when Bokuto nodded she moved on, “Foreign object in rectum?” Another nod. She nodded and turned to the computer. “Just a few questions then I will take your vitals.” She said. She asked about his medical history and other questions that were normally asked during a check-up, but he found himself embarrassed when she started prodding at his sexual history.  


She looked at Akaashi and then back at Bokuto, “Are you sexually active?” She asked.  


Bokuto fidgeted with his fingers. “Uh, no.” He said, “Not really.”  


The nurse raised an eyebrow, “Not really?” She asked.  


“Uh, not currently. I’ve haven’t had sex in like, 6 years.” He said, “The uh, toy, wasn’t from sex.” He said, “I was just masturbating.” He mumbled, obviously very embarrassed. Where he would normally look to Akaashi for reassurance, he wouldn’t turn his head to look at him.  


“Just a few more questions. What exactly is the foreign object?”  


“Vibrator.”  


“How long has it been in your rectum?”  


“I think about an hour and a half, maybe two hours.” Akaashi raised a brow at that, because he had picked Bokuto up only about 45 minutes before, maximum. Bokuto must have been having a great time before the incident.  


“What have you already attempted to remove the object?”  


“Well, the internet just kind of said to try and relax and push it out. Didn’t work obviously, and I figured my fingers are too fat to reach in and grab it.” He mumbled.  


The nurse nodded and typed into the computer. She finished her round of questioning before standing to take his vitals. “You seem like a very healthy young man.” She said, patting his shoulder. She grabbed a gown out of the closet and handed it to him. “The doctor will come in shortly to do a physical examination, you will probably have you get x-rays done to make sure there is no internal damage. There is a restroom there if you need privacy to get changed.” She said. Then she was gone and Bokuto groaned into his hands.  


Akaashi stood and stepped over to Bokuto, “Bokuto-san?” He said, placing his hand on his boyfriend’s knee to get his attention. When Bokuto met his gaze he looked miserable. “Do you need help?” He asked.  


“’Kaashi! I’m sorry I’m so lame.” He pouted and Akaashi rolled his eyes.  


“Stop it.” He said, “You’re not lame. This happens to people all the time. I read one time that some lady tried masturbating with a frozen hot dog.” He said nodding, “But it uh, it thawed out and broke apart.” He grimaced. “At least you use proper toys.” He said. He leaned in and kissed Bokuto’s head, “I don’t think any less of you. Didn’t I tell you that already?”  


Bokuto shook his head, “Not that. Now you know that I haven’t gotten laid in 6 years.” He complained. Akaashi helped Bokuto off the table, and into the bathroom.  


“I really don’t care about that Bokuto-san.” He said softly. “It isn’t like I’ve had a thriving sex life either.” He laughed. When Bokuto emerged he still had his pants on with the gown over him. Akaashi nodded and stepped up to him to help him get the pants off. “I can still hear it.” He said, looking up at Bokuto as he kneeled to pull the pants over his shoes.  


Bokuto groaned, “I know, I can feel it.” He looked at Akaashi, “You mean it though? I mean, I’m 24 and I’ve only had sex once. I’m probably bad at it.” He said.  


Akaashi shook his head and kissed Bokuto’s pouty lips, “No, I don’t care Bokuto. I like you for you, no matter what you’re like in bed.” He chuckled, “Besides, the fact that you already know your body…” He grinned wickedly, “I like that.”  


Bokuto’s eyes widened slightly at the predatory look on Akaashi’s face. Even though he was taller and wider than Akaashi, he suddenly felt like a mouse caught in an owl’s talons. All he could do was nod. He was so sore and oversensitive from the vibrator in his ass, but that look definitely stirred something in him. He choked out an “I look forward to it.”  


The curtain was pushed aside and the doctor stepped in. “Bokuto-san?” Bokuto nodded and managed to get back up on the exam table. The doctor had him lay back on the bed so the doctor could prod at his abdomen to check for pain or discomfort.  


“Very good Bokuto-san.” He said, “I just need you to move to your side so I can perform a rectal exam.” He said.  


“Didn’t think I’d be getting one of those until I was an old man.” He joked. Akaashi chuckled at him and helped Bokuto roll over and position his legs the way the doctor wanted them.  


The doctor reached into one of the cupboard and grabbed a tube of something and a pair of gloves. “So it will probably be uncomfortable, and the cream will be cold, but it should provide some relief.” Bokuto nodded his understanding. He pulled his legs up to his chest and buried his face in his knees. He jerked away from the cold touch when he felt the fingers against his oversensitive rim.  


It helped to feel Akaashi’s fingers in his hair. When the rectal exam was over the doctor sat back. “Doesn’t look too bad. It doesn’t look like there is any real damage to the rim or muscles. But I will need you to get some x-rays and make sure nothing has been perforated. If you have internal damage it would be reckless to pull it out.”  


Bokuto nodded and moved to lay on his back again. The doctor helped him off the table, “The nurse will bring you to radiology soon.” He said.  


  


“Alright, everything looks good!” He doctor said, stepping back into the room, “I can go ahead and remove the toy.” He said. He held up the x-ray to show Bokuto. He had given him some muscle relaxers before the x-ray to help keep Bokuto’s muscles pliable. He helped Bokuto lay down on the bed in just the right way so that the doctor would be able to extract the toy. Akaashi brushed his fingers through Bokuto’s hair to also help him relax.  


Overall, the procedure didn’t take very long or cause Bokuto any pain. The doctor dropped the vibrator on a tray and stood to strip off his gloves and wash his hands again. “Alright, the toy is out. I just have to look inside with this tiny camera to make sure that we didn’t miss any injuries that could cause pain or infection later.” He said. He grabbed the small box with a long tube attached to it with a camera. Bokuto nodded and buried his face further into his knees. He was so embarrassed. When everything was said and done the doctor helped Bokuto off the bed and nodded towards the restroom. “Take as long as you need. I will leave some pamphlets on the bed regarding safe sex procedures to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”  


Bokuto nodded and trudged towards the bathroom. He felt oddly empty, but regardless, he felt funny too. He soon found out why he felt weird. Apparently having a vibrator up your ass, and on, does weird things to your bowel system.  


Akaashi, blessedly, didn’t say anything when Bokuto emerged from the bathroom some time later. “Let’s go.” He mumbled. Akaashi may not care about his preference or the fact that he was stupid enough to get the toy stuck in the first place, but Bokuto felt his pride take a hit anyway. He was supposed to be cool and suave and win Akaashi over with his charming personality. He felt like he was none of those things so the least he could do was not get a vibrator stuck in his ass and then spend 25 minutes in the bathroom while his intestinal track figured itself out.  


When they got back to Bokuto’s apartment he mumbled out an apology for dragging him along and went to go take a shower. He was feeling gross, and even as clinical as the whole process had been, he felt a certain amount of violation.  


Akaashi nodded and kissed Bokuto’s cheek before shoeing him on his way. He then set about cleaning up Bokuto’s room. He chucked the soiled towels into the laundry bag and tucked the lube in the bedside drawer, he wasn’t sure if that was where it belonged, but that was where he kept his. While he was shaking out the blankets he kicked something. Akaashi bent down and found the shoebox. When he opened it he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Oh Bokuto-san I can’t wait to get to use these on you.” He mumbled, sliding the box back under the bed where he had found it.  


Akaashi cleared away the trash and cleaned up any stray spots of lube he found. When he was finished he made his way out to the kitchen to see if there was anything he could cook for his boyfriend. There really wasn’t that much to choose from, but he managed to make a semi-non-traditional stir fry with the food in the fridge.  


He was just finishing the rice and about to start the meat when he heard Bokuto come out of the bathroom and make his way to the bedroom. He smiled as he heard a surprised noise come from him. “Akaashi?” He poked his head into the kitchen. “You didn’t need to do that.” He mumbled. “I would have cleaned that up.”  


Akaashi shook his head, “No, I didn’t, but I was more than happy to, considering you’ve been through quite enough today. I thought I would help out.” He said, “I uh- didn’t step across any boundaries did I?”  


Bokuto shook his head, “No of course not! I just- It was embarrassing enough to make you drive me to the hospital. Then you sat there while a doctor shoved a giant pair of plyers up my ass to remove a vibrator.” Bokuto looked close to tears and Akaashi had to wonder if it was just stress. “I don’t even understand why you’re still here. Cooking and cleaning. I thought you’d give up on me when I told you I had a history of mental disorder, never mind my bedroom preferences.”  


Akaashi rolled his eyes and moved the food off the heat so he could step up to Bokuto. He cupped his face in his hands and kissed Bokuto’s nose. “Bokuto?”  


“Yeah?” He mumbled, barely meeting Akaashi’s eyes before they flit away to look anywhere else.  


“I love you. I didn’t even know it was possible to fall so fast. You’re so… you’re so amazing.” He said. “I can’t believe you’re so hung up on this.” He stared at him for a moment before pulling him forward again and pressing quick sloppy kisses all over Bokuto’s face until neither of them could hold in their laughter.  


Once they had both caught their breath Akaashi cocked a grin at Bokuto. “Besides, when I was cleaning up I found your shoe box.” He said, he hadn’t been planning on telling Bokuto, but he had hoped it would put him at ease. “And I cannot wait to try all sorts of things on you.” He laughed at Bokuto’s bright red face. “Go get dressed. Then we can cuddle and watch a movie.” He said.  


Bokuto nodded and went back to his room. He tossed on his softest pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt before padding back out to the kitchen. He leaned against the counter and watched his boyfriend move around and finish their food. When dinner was ready the duo made their way to the living room with their food rather than sitting at the table. Akaashi noticed how gingerly Bokuto sat himself down and smiled softly at him, “Sore?” He asked.  


Bokuto hummed, kicking his feet up on the small table and relaxing back into the couch, “Kind of. I’ve read those terrible manga where the seme makes the uke wear a vibrator all day long. I understand why the uke always gets so mad. Though usually it just ends in sex. I definitely couldn’t have sex right now.”  


Akaashi tried to keep a straight face while Bokuto talked about reading yaoi, but he was cracking up by the end of it. “They definitely use smaller vibrators for that.” He said. “I’m pretty sure that they make vibrators specifically for that, and they aren’t usually the size of a dick.”  


Bokuto shrugged, “Yeah, but I think it was the vibrations that sucked.” He said, “Like, it felt so good in the short term, but, it hurt so bad by the end. I don’t think I’d be able to survive even a smaller vibrator all day.” He said. “That was only like, what? Three hours?”  


“Something like that.” He laughed, “Eat your food before it gets cold.” He said, grabbing the controller to put on a movie. “But don’t worry, I probably won’t make you wear a vibrator all day.” He teased.  


After their food was gone, Akaashi brought their dishes to the kitchen and returned to the couch. He looked down at Bokuto. He looked comfortable, he looked half-asleep. “Would you like to go to bed Bokuto-san?” He asked.  


Bokuto blinked at the screen then raised his face to look at Akaashi. He slowly shook his head, “Are you gonna call me Bokuto-san during sex?”  


Akaashi raised a brow and settled himself down on the couch next to Bokuto, “No, I suppose I will probably call you Bokuto, or Koutarou if you would prefer that.” He chuckled. He pulled Bokuto carefully over to him so Bokuto’s head was resting on his shoulder. He ran his fingers through the soft locks.  


“I wouldn’t mind if you called me Koutarou all the time.” He mumbled, nuzzling against Akaashi’s neck.  


Akaashi laughed, “Well, if you really want I can drop the san from here on out.” He said.  


“You said that before.” Bokuto pointed out, and they finished the movie in relative silence, though towards the end Akaashi heard soft snoring coming from the man next to him. Akaashi shut the TV off and gently shook Bokuto awake, “Let’s go to bed.” He helped Bokuto up and they made their way to the bedroom slowly, Akaashi turning off all the lights on their way. Bokuto stripped off his shirt and climbed into the bed, facing the wall. Akaashi smiled, letting most of his own clothes join Bokuto’s shirt on the floor. He slid up behind Bokuto and kissed his shoulder. “Good night Bokuto.” He mumbled, tossing one arm over Bokuto’s midsection.  
  



	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not much plot to this chapter, it's mostly porn lol  
> Anyway, please comment if you like it!!

The next morning Bokuto woke up feeling like he got hit by a semi-truck. He groaned and rolled over, burying his face in Akaashi’s chest. He wound his arms around Akaashi’s smaller frame and tried to will himself back to sleep, though he was never very good at that.  


Akaashi grunted when Bokuto moved, and he squeezed him harder. “Bokuto.” He mumbled against the top of his head. “How do you feel?”  


Bokuto made a pathetic groaning noise. “Not great.” He admitted. “All my muscles hurt, and I don’t think very much of that ache is from my workout.”  


Akaashi huffed a laugh, “No probably not. I imagine there was a lot of tensing yesterday.” He felt Bokuto nod. “Well, today is my day off, so we don’t have to do anything.” He said.  


Bokuto peeked up at Akaashi, “But we could.” He said.  


Akaashi raised an eyebrow at him, “What did you have in mind?” He asked.  


“Let’s go to Nikko.”  


Akaashi laughed and nodded, “You sure? That’s an awful lot of walking for someone who is sore.” Bokuto seemed to contemplate it for a moment before shrugging.  


“I’d rather deal with a little pain than be bored all day.” He said, “Besides I’ve never been and I wanna see it.”  


Akaashi rolled his eyes affectionately. “Okay. I have to go home and change. Would you mind getting ready and meeting me at my apartment? We can leave from there.”  


Bokuto nodded. Akaashi smiled and leaned in to press a gentle kiss against his boyfriend’s lips, then stood up. He walked over to the pile of clothes on the floor and started pulling on his day old clothes. “You’re so hot Akaashi.”  


Akaashi turned towards Bokuto and laughed, “Have you seen yourself?” He said with a sly smile, “If you weren’t sore from yesterday, I would suggest staying in bed all day.”  


Bokuto’s eyes went wide, “It’s not that bad ‘Kaashi!” He said, but he grimaced when he sat up, giving himself away. At Akaashi’s judging look Bokuto pouted, “Okay. Maybe next time.” He chuckled.  


Akaashi nodded, “Maybe.” He said, he grabbed his phone, keys, and wallet from the night stand. He slipped one of the keys off the chain and put it back down. “That’s the key to my apartment, you can let yourself in when you come over.” He said. “In fact, keep the key. I have a spare.”  


Bokuto stared up at Akaashi for a moment before jumping up and enveloping Akaashi in a tight hug. It hurt Bokuto to move so quickly, but he was so excited. “Gahh!” He said eloquently, “You’re amazing Akaashi!” He pulled back and looked at Akaashi, eyes shining, “Are we at that stage in our relationship?”  


Akaashi was surprised by the hug, but he returned it nonetheless. When he could see Bokuto’s face again he had to swallow hard and will himself to keep it under control. Seeing Bokuto like that always made him horny. “I think so Bokuto.” He replied.  


Bokuto grinned and kissed Akaashi before moving to go get dressed.  


  


Bokuto nearly dropped the key three times trying to get the door unlocked. He was nervous using the key for the first time. He looked around the cozy apartment that he had found himself in more and more as of late. There were already small signs of Bokuto here and there. Mostly it was clothes that had gotten forgotten, but also a book that he had been reading, and an extra pair of shoes, the throw blanket neatly folded over the back of the couch. Although Bokuto was sure that it hadn’t been neatly folded when he left it there.  


Bokuto dropped his bag on the small table in the living room and sat down to wait for Akaashi, he could hear the water running in the bathroom so he figured he had some time to kill.  


When Akaashi emerged from the shower he poked his head into the living room to greet Bokuto and caught his breath, “Oh.” He hummed, “Should I wear a kimono too?” He asked.  


Bokuto jumped slightly, and turned to look at Akaashi, “I just figured we were going to a traditional town.” He gestured to his bag, “I brought regular clothes too if you didn’t want to wear traditional clothes.”  


Akaashi shook his head, “No, it’s okay. We can visit a shrine or two while we are there.” He said. Akaashi smiled at Bokuto before going to his room. It was still a little chilly out, so he dug out his haori too. When he was dressed he stepped out of the bedroom into the living room. “Do you have a haori?”  


“Yeah, I hung it by the door when I came in.” He said, turning to look at Akaashi. He felt his mouth go dry. “You look so pretty in that.” He mumbled. Akaashi was wearing a traditional kimono that was dark blue with the traditional wave crest pattern on it. The nagajuban was white where it showed past his collar, and his obi was black, as was the haori.  


“It’s pretty traditional.” He said, looking down at himself.  


“Yeah, but the blue matches your eyes!” He said excitedly, standing up himself.  


Akaashi smiled, “You look very good in yours as well Bokuto.” He hummed, looking at the black kimono with large crashing white waves printed around the edges of the top and all over the bottom of the garment. His nagajuban was a golden yellow, which he didn’t understand at first, but when Bokuto pulled on his haori, it clicked. The nagajuban, obi, and haori all matched Bokuto’s eyes perfectly. Akaashi stepped up to Bokuto and dragged him down into a kiss. “You’re unfairly attractive.” He mumbled, “You’ve no right looking like that when you spike your hair up like an idiot.”  


Bokuto squawked in indignation, but he could hardly argue back with the bruising kisses being pressed to his lips. Once Akaashi let him go Bokuto gave him a dopey grin, “I love you too Akaashi.” He said. “Let’s go get some food.”  


Akaashi laughed and nodded, “Let’s.”  


  


The train ride home was quiet and Akaashi smiled to himself as Bokuto nodded off, leaning against him. When they reached their stop Akaashi woke Bokuto up and led him back to his apartment. “Bokuto, would you like to stay the night?” He asked Bokuto yawned loudly and nodded.  


“Oh, I have morning practice tomorrow though.” He said, “And it’s your day off.” He looked at Akaashi, “So I don’t mind going home. I don’t wanna wake you on my way out.”  


Akaashi smiled at the thoughtfulness, “That’s okay Bokuto. I think I’d like to watch you guys if your team doesn’t mind.” He said.  


Bokuto raised his eyebrows, “Really?”  


“Yeah, tournament is coming up right? Your practice schedule has been crazy lately, I would like to see how much you have improved since the last time.” He said earnestly.  


Bokuto grinned at his boyfriend as he unlocked the door and they stumbled inside, exhausted after so long on their feet. “I’d love that. No one will mind.” He said. Akaashi smiled at the answer and moved to untie Bokuto’s haori, slide it off his shoulders and hang it.  


“You brought clothes right?”  


Bokuto hummed and watched as Akaashi ran his fingers over Bokuto’s chest, feeling as they dug in when he pressed down. “Yeah, ‘cause I didn’t know if you’d wanna wear the kimonos.”  


Akaashi nodded and brought his hands down lower to untie the obi. “I am very glad you thought of it. I enjoyed watching you walk around in it all day.” He said. He placed the obi aside and cornered Bokuto against the wall. He reached up and ran his fingers through the drooping spikes, pulling his lover in for a kiss. When he pulled back he couldn’t help but tease him a little, “Even if you were walking a little funky.”  


Bokuto felt drunk under Akaashi’s gaze, but he ruined it with his comment. Bokuto whined and pushed Akaashi away gently. “Don’t make fun of me.” He said, but he was laughing himself. It was still a sore spot, literally, but someday it would make a great party story.  


Akaashi laughed and pressed a gentle kiss against his boyfriend’s pouting lips before pulling away entirely, “Let’s get cleaned up and go to bed.”  


  


“Boo yah!” Bokuto shouted, watching as the ball hit the other side of the court with a loud bam. He was on fire today! He felt like he was on his A game, and he wondered how much of that was just being able to feel Akaashi’s eyes watching his every move. He felt like prey under the intensity of his gaze. It made him want to impress Akaashi even more.  


About halfway through practice Kuroo showed up, apologizing for being late even if everyone knew it was going to happen. His train had just come in that morning as he got back from his trip with Kenma, plus the volleyball team didn’t usually have practice on Sundays, it was just because they were so close to the tournament.  


As their practice went on, Akaashi was allowed it sit on the bench with the manager and the coach, who he chatted amicably with. He was also fairly distracted though. Akaashi had noticed that Bokuto’s knee pads went higher than most when they had played together last, but he had also been paying attention to the game. Now that he was watching though, his eyes were drawn to the sliver of tanned muscle he could see between the hem of his shorts and the top of his knee pads when he jumped or received. It was driving him wild. He wondered if Bokuto would squeeze him with his thighs.  


“Akaashi?” He jerked out of his thoughts and turned towards the manager. “Sorry, you looked like you were spacing out.” He laughed, “I asked if you wanted to eat lunch with the team.”  


Akaashi nodded, embarrassed at being caught daydreaming. “Sure. If you don’t mind. I can always go eat on my own and come back.” He offered, but the manager didn’t let him, she insisted that there was more than enough for everybody.  


When the match ended Bokuto ran up to Akaashi and swept him into a hug, lifting him and spinning. It made Akaashi laugh loudly in surprise. He wrapped his arms around Bokuto’s head, until he decided to put him down. He kissed Bokuto and laughed when one of the team members made a snide remark to them.  


“I’m so happy you’re here ‘Kaashi.” He said, kissing his cheek before peeling his sweaty body away to grab a towel from the manager to dry up. Akaashi shook his head and watched him go, jumping slightly when Kuroo spoke from right behind him.  


Akaashi turned around, furrowing his brow when Kuroo held something out to him. He took it, “What’s this?”  


“Tickets for the tournament.” He said. “We wanted to surprise Bo, and you.” He said, “So don’t tell Bo about it. It’s a pass, so you’ll be able to get into all of the matches up to and including the finals.”  


Akaashi looked down at the tickets and slid them into his bag. “Well, thank you. Can I pay you back for them?” He asked.  


“Well you can try, but since I didn’t pay for them I don’t think it matters.” Akaashi raised a brow and Kuroo elaborated. “Coach always gives each player two tickets to any paid event. He always sends Bokuto’s straight to his parents though because he always forgets to do it.” Kuroo laughed. “Technically this ticket was Hinata’s, but he wanted me to give it to you.”  


“Oh, shouldn’t Hinata give it to his parents?”  


“He only has one.” Kuroo said, patting Akaashi on the shoulder. “Let’s go eat before Bokuto eats everything."  


Akaashi laughed and followed Kuroo outside where they had a grill set up. It was the last practice before the preliminaries and everybody was pretty hyped up.  


Bokuto turned towards Akaashi and handed him a plate. “’Kaashi!” He exclaimed, “We have barbeque!”  


“I see that Bokuto.” He laughed, grabbing some food for himself.  


“How are the birds?!” Hinata asked, running up to them.  


Akaashi smiled, “They’re good. We’re planning on releasing one of them the week after next week.” He said, he was excited because they very rarely get to release the birds.  


Hinata grinned, “Whoa!”  


Bokuto turned towards Akaashi. “Who? Not Peanut Butter right?”  


Akaashi shook his head, “No. I told you Peanut Butter will never be released. It’s Wasabi-san.”  


“Are they all names after food?” Hinata asked.  


“Bokuto named them, so yes. They are almost all named after food.”  


Bokuto hummed, “I’m glad Wasabi-san can go free.” He said, “It’s only because Akaashi is the best vet!”  


Akaashi rolled his eyes, “You know I’m not the best vet. I’m still learning. But thank you for the compliment.” He said, quirking his lips in lopsided smile.  


  


After the party, the volleyball team cleaned up most of the gym, though Bokuto convinced them to leave the net up and the balls out so that Akaashi and Bokuto could continue their practice.  


Akaashi took off his button up shirt and rolled up the legs of his pants before making his way towards the middle of the net. “Ready?”  


Bokuto grinned and nodded, tossing the ball high in the air to Akaashi so he could set it. Akaashi set it to Bokuto with no issue, no hesitation, and maybe an unhealthy amount of longing. He missed volleyball so much, and he loved playing it with Bokuto. He couldn’t help but think back to the last time Bokuto’s team had allowed him to play in their practices. Despite being a division 1 team, despite being professionals, they had willingly let Akaashi play with them. Never in his life had he actually wished to go pro, except for every time he set to Bokuto.  


He knew he wouldn’t, couldn’t, but he was more than happy to be allowed small slices of the game here and there.  


Akaashi and Bokuto lost track of time while they played. They pushed on until long after their clothes had become soaked through with sweat, until long after they were panting from exhaustion.  


“Bokuto, we should close up. You need to rest up for your matches.” He said, tossing the ball into the bin with the others. “You only have a short while before the games.” He said.  


Bokuto didn’t want to, but he followed Akaashi’s lead in cleaning the gym again. They put all the stuff away and made their way back to Akaashi’s apartment.  


When they got back Akaashi went to go take a shower, but he was stopped by a hand on his elbow. “We could shower together.” Bokuto offered sheepishly.  


“If you want to see me naked Bokuto, all you have to do is ask.” He laughed, but pulled his boyfriend with him towards the bathroom. Bokuto followed after him, trying and failing to protest.  


When they stepped into the bathroom, Akaashi backed Bokuto up against the wall and pulled him down for a short, teasing kiss. It left Bokuto wanting and even though he leaned forward to chase Akaashi’s lips when he pulled back, Akaashi pressed a firm hand to his shoulder. “Let’s get cleaned up first.”  


Bokuto nodded, “Yeah, okay Akaashi.” He said. Bokuto striped quickly and stepped under the showerhead, adjusting the temperature to nearly scalding. Perfect. When Akaashi joined him a moment later he let out a sigh.  


“It’s been awhile since I practiced that long.” Akaashi said. He releveled in the feeling of Bokuto’s large hands coming to rest on his hips as he was pulled back against his large chest.  


“Wanna massage? I’m really good at them.” He promised. Akaashi mulled it over for only a moment before nodding and pulling away to sit on the stool. Bokuto kneeled behind him and lovingly ran his fingers over the planes of Akaashi’s back. “So strong.” He mused, which admittedly was not something Akaashi was used to hearing. He knew he was strong, he was fit, but he never got the muscle mass that Bokuto and Kuroo had. He only went to the gym three days a week, additionally, his workouts involved different muscle groups and different techniques which resulted in leaner muscles rather than the stronger looking form.  


When Bokuto started the actual massage, Akaashi couldn’t stop the moan from dripping from his tongue. It was obvious enough he was an amateur, but it was still better than anything he had gotten in a long time. He sighed and leaned back into the hands roughly working out the knots. “Where did you learn this?” He asked, grunting when Bokuto dug his thumb in extra hard right under his shoulder blade.  


“My mom.” He said, and Akaashi nodded to let Bokuto know that he did in fact remember what his mom had done for a living. “It came in handy when I was in high school and still lived at home. After a hard workout she would help me relax.” He explained.  


Akaashi hummed and leaned against his large hands. He sat there silently while Bokuto worked out the tension in his shoulders, then his back. He jerked slightly when Bokuto patted his ass. “All done babe.” He said, leaning over to kiss Akaashi’s cheek.  


Akaashi turned around and reached up to wrap his arms around Bokuto’s neck, pulling him down into a kiss. “I can’t really return the favor.” He said, “But, I’d be willing to make it up to you another way when we get out of the shower.” He said, reaching down with one hand to run his fingers over Bokuto’s dick, just to make sure his message was clear.  


Bokuto flushed brightly and jerked ever so slightly at the fingers skimming across his skin. “Yeah.” He choked out, nodding vigorously.  


Akaashi smiled, “Sit, I’ll wash your hair.” Bokuto complied, and the rest of the shower went by smoothly. When they were both cleaned up Bokuto settled himself into the tub with a long sigh. He silently spread his legs enough for Akaashi to settle between them. The tub was small, but not so small that it was uncomfortable. Akaashi relaxed back against his boyfriend.  


When they were finished they both walked to the bedroom in nothing but towels. Even though the bath had relaxed them, and Bokuto was already tired from practice, there was an energy in the air as they stepped inside. Bokuto stood in the doorway staring at the bed. Akaashi turned towards him and grabbed his hand, pulling him forward gently. “We don’t have to do anything.” He stated. “We can just lay down and watch TV.”  


Bokuto shook his head. “I want to.” He said, stepping forward. Bokuto leaned down and kissed Akaashi, “Just nervous.” He laughed, “But a good nervous. Like subbing in in your first volleyball game nervous.” He chuckled.  


Akaashi laughed, kissed him back, and dragged him to the bed. “Well, if you want to stop, just let me know.” He said, pushing Bokuto to sit down and straddling him.  


Bokuto’s eyes went wide at the commandeering attitude and the fact that he suddenly had a very naked Akaashi in his lap. “Okay.” He breathed, letting his hands fall to rest on Akaashi’s thighs. Bokuto took in the sight before him slowly. He rubbed his thumbs into the soft muscle of his thighs. It was really an amazing sight, seeing Akaashi like this.  


“You know, the day I met you I went home and gushed to Kuroo about how attractive you were.” He confessed, making Akaashi huff fond laughter.  


Akaashi leaned in, his hands cupping Bokuto’s face in his hands. He started the kiss off slowly, working them both up in their own time. He slowly worked his finger through Bokuto’s scalp, drawing out small little moans as he worked his way to his neck. He eventually broke the kiss, moving to mouth at Bokuto’s neck. He moved to run his fingers down Bokuto’s chest when he got an idea. “I want to see how you do it.” Akaashi mumbled into Bokuto’s neck.  


“Hah?” Bokuto responded dumbfounded.  


Akaashi chuckled and reached out to move Bokuto’s arm, bringing his hand to Bokuto’s length, “I want to see how you pleasure yourself.” He said softly.  


Bokuto flushed brightly and stammered slightly before nodding. Bokuto tapped Akaashi’s leg to get him to lift himself up, then he shuffled on the bed until he was leaning against the pillows, quickly followed by Akaashi climbing back in his lap. “’I’m not sure I see the appeal in this.” He mumbled, though it was more from embarrassment than general lack of understanding.  


Akaashi quirked a lopsided smile. “I’ll have to show you in return so you understand.” He leaned forward to kiss Bokuto again softly, just barely letting his lips linger before he pulled back and let his eyes fall to where Bokuto was running his hands down his chest.  


Bokuto took it slowly, like he does if he gets the chance to masturbate with no one else home. He took the time to familiarize himself with his body, mapping out all the spots that drew a reaction for him. He felt kind of funny, doing it with an audience, but the way Akaashi was looking at him? Bokuto felt more like prey, or a good meal, rather than someone under scrutiny.  


Akaashi watched Bokuto with no small amount of hunger. He wanted to devour the other man, but he also wanted to take his time. He took a mental note of the spots that made Bokuto gasp or let out a little moan. He didn’t expect Bokuto to be so patient with himself. He expected Bokuto to rush into the good part given his brash nature and tendency to get impatient.  


Bokuto groaned when he moved his hand down to finally wrap around his length. He gasped out a mangled version of Akaashi’s name, causing Akaashi to laugh a little. He stretched slightly to grab the lube out of the bedside drawer. “Want this?” He asked, checking to make sure he grabbed the right one.  


Bokuto smiled stupidly at Akaashi, “Yeah.” He held himself still while Akaashi uncapped the lid and poured the cold liquid directly on head of Bokuto’s dick, causing him to hiss in surprise.  


“S’cold.” He mumbled, but he started moving his hand again, letting it warm up.  


“Won’t be for long.” Akaashi huffed. He leaned in to kiss his boyfriend again, watching for his reaction. It didn’t take long before Bokuto was sucking in unsteady breaths.  


“Wha’s this?” He asked, looking down at his overly warm member, it felt great, but different. Akaashi smirked and held the bottle up for Bokuto to look at. “Warming jelly?”  


Akaashi reached down to wrap his hand around Bokuto’s hand, feeling the pace and the minute movements of his hand. “Feels good doesn’t it?”  


“Yeah.” It didn’t take long after that to work Bokuto to the brink. To Akaashi’s surprised, Bokuto slowed down and took a few deep breaths, “Kiss me.” He mumbled, drawing Akaashi to him with the hand he never took off Akaashi’s thigh. He moaned softly into the kiss, then started working himself back up. This time he didn’t back down from the edge, instead tipping over it with an intenseness Akaashi wasn’t expecting. Maybe he underestimated how simple-minded Bokuto usually portrayed himself, because he seemed to be completely different in bed than what Akaashi would have expected just a couple months ago.  


Bokuto hummed and slowed his hand, leaning in to kiss him again, suddenly looking very sleepy but satisfied. “Your turn.” He grinned lopsided.  


Akaashi smiled, “I suppose that was the deal.” He laughed, giving one more languid kiss before pulling back to put on his own show.  


Bokuto watched with rapt attention as Akaashi worked himself over, though he was already ridiculously turned on from watching Bokuto, so that didn’t take much time at all. He grabbed the lube he had used on Bokuto and was about to pour it on himself when Bokuto reached out to wrap his hand around Akaashi’s length, ripping a loud moan from him. “Guide my hand.” He said, watching and paying attention as his hand was moved, he noted where and when Akaashi squeezed or twisted. Unlike Bokuto, Akaashi worked himself up fast, and didn’t back down when he felt his impending orgasm sneaking up on him. He moaned and pitched himself forward, burying his face in Bokuto’s neck as he came between them.  


He caught his breath for a few moments before he finally sighed and kissed him again. “Let’s go get cleaned up.”  


  


The first leg of the tournament started just a couple days later, which meant that Bokuto had taken a plane to Matsumoto the day before so that they could get everybody settled in and comfortable. Akaashi woke up early the day of the prelims, though he assumed Bokuto had already woken up and gone for a run by the time he dragged his ass out of bed. He made his way to the bathroom to get ready for the day. Bokuto had told him that they weren’t playing the first night. It had taken some convincing, but Akaashi had managed to use his vacation time to request a large amount of the games off. He wanted to support Bokuto, but he also didn’t want to travel too far. If it weren’t the first day, Akaashi probably wouldn’t have gone all the way to Matsumoto to watch 2 games. Plus since he wanted to surprise Bokuto, he wasn’t planning on seeing him at all the first day.  


He arrived in the middle of the afternoon and made his way to check in at the hotel he had reserved, got some food, and stayed in his room doing some paperwork for the sanctuary that he hadn’t gotten to do before.  


When Bokuto called later in the day he had to hold himself back from asking his boyfriend to eat dinner with him, but they chatted for a while before Akaashi told Bokuto to get some sleep and be ready for the next day.  


No matter how tired he had felt to from the travels the day before, he felt revitalized upon stepping into the gym. It was nostalgic, even if he had never played in that particular gym. The smell, the sounds of shoes slipping and balls hitting the floor, he sight of all the volleyball players, it kind of hurt. He really did miss volleyball. He made his way to the stands in front of the court that Bokuto’s team was playing on.  


Bokuto grinned at Kuroo as they stepped onto the court, “Man! I’ve missed playing official games!”  


Hinata run up behind him and nodded, “Me too!” He shouted, “Who are we playing against first?” He asked, looking to Kuroo. When he answered, Hinata ran off to go bug someone else.  


“Did your parents come?” Bokuto asked. Kuroo had a good relationship with his parents these days, most of the time, but they didn’t usually come to games that required a long travel. Bokuto couldn’t say he blamed them.  


“Not sure. My mom didn’t text me to let me know she would, but I think I can hear your mom from here.” He cackled, looking up into the stands to see Bokuto’s mother in the stands above the court shouting to get his attention.  


Bokuto grinned and waved to his mom, but he didn’t see his dad. He was probably too busy to get there. “Let’s get warmed up.”  


Akaashi startled slightly when the woman near him started yelling. To be fair there had been quite a bit of yelling as soon as the teams entered the courts to warm up, but she was the loudest.  


As he looked at her he noticed that she was shouting ‘Koutarou’. Bokuto hadn’t said that his mother was going to the matches, but then again, Akaashi hadn’t told Bokuto he was going. “Ma’am?” He said, getting her attention. “Are you related to Bokuto?”  


The lady came up short, turning towards the voice, “Uh, yes?” She responded, nervously pushing her hair behind her ear, “Do I know you?”  


Akaashi was surprised but smiled, “I’m a… friend, of Bokuto and Kuroo.” He said, bowing slightly. He didn’t know if Bokuto had told his mother about their relationship or not, so he decided to go the friend route, even if it stung a little bit. “My name is Akaashi Keiji.”  


The lady paused a moment, assessing him before grinning in a way that made her look nearly identical to her son if it weren’t for the obvious gender difference. “The bird guy?” She asked.  


Akaashi nodded, “Yes ma’am.” He laughed, that seemed to be how everybody knew him when Bokuto talked about him. “I am a vet, but I specialize in helping birds.” He said.  


She smiled and nodded, “You can call me Miriko. You’re dating aren’t you? I always knew my baby boy would end up with a hottie.” She laughed.  


Akaashi huffed a laugh too. It was so easy to see where Bokuto got his boisterous personality. “Yes, we are. I just wasn’t sure how much he had told you.” He said, “I am glad that I can finally meet you.” He said earnestly.  


She reached out and pulled her to him, grinning, “I’m glad to meet you too! Bokuto was so excited when you said he could start volunteering with the birds. I don’t know why he loves them, but he does.” Together they looked down at the court as Bokuto yelled.  


“Hey, hey, hey!” He pumped his fist in the air after hitting a particularly perfect serve.  


Kuroo chuckled, “Now do that during the game Bo!”  


Akaashi smiled down at them, “I wish I could be down there with him.” He hummed, looking at Bokuto’s mom again.  


“You play?”  


“I did for a long time, but I stopped when I got a job and was still finishing my degree. I had too much to do and I had to give it up.” He said. “Bokuto, oh, I guess I should call him Koutarou,” He laughed, “He lets me join in their practice matches sometimes. Or I’ll toss for him. It’s not the same, but- I’m very grateful.”  


She nodded and jerked her thumb towards the chairs, “Sit with me?” He nodded and they sat down to wait for the match to start. “How long have you two been together now?”  


He laughed and shook his head, “It’s only been about two and a half months I think, but it feels like forever.” He said. “He’s just, so full of life and energetic. Now that he’s been with me, I can’t really imagine what exactly I did before I met him.” He supposed he probably read a lot more, but it doesn’t really feel like he is missing out. It doesn’t happen too often, but sometimes they will sit together on the couch reading and just basking in each other’s presence. Akaashi never thought his life could so easily mix with another person’s.  


Bokuto’s mother smiled, “That’s how it was for my husband and I.” She paused, “Only I was the energetic one.” She stared at him for a second. “I’m glad he’s found someone, I wasn’t sure he was ever going to date again. I hated to think he would get lonely.” She said.  


Akaashi sat in silence with her for a moment while he thought about what he wanted to say next. “I’m glad the two of you have a close relationship.” He said sincerely, fiddling with his fingers in his lap. “My parents and I aren’t on speaking terms since I came out, so it makes me happy to see you so supportive of him.” Akaashi said softly.  


Bokuto’s mother smiled at him and leaned back in the seat.  


They made their way back down to the railing as the ref called the start of the match. Akaashi watched Bokuto's mom as she spoke about Bokuto’s childhood, how easily he made friends, but how hard of a time Bokuto had when people would call him loud, or annoying, or wouldn’t want to play with him because of his boundless energy.  


They both jerked their gazed back to the court when they heard a loud shout. “I suppose that’s one way to look at it, but really, he has an amazing way of motivating people.” He said softly, “Even his opponents get more fired up when he does something amazing.” He said, after Bokuto had broken through a three person block. “Sure he is loud, and boisterous, and maybe some people think that it’s annoying.” He shrugged, “But if he wasn’t, then he wouldn’t be nearly as mesmerizing to watch.” He said. “He has a way of drawing all the attention to himself. He’s a perfect ace.”  


His mom snorted, “Well maybe not perfect, eh?” She said, smiling as Bokuto missed his serve.  


Akaashi laughed with her. “He’s been working hard on those jump serves, but he really struggles with putting too much power into them.  


  


Akaashi and Miriko chatted on and off for the duration of the game. When the third and final set finished with them winning, they stood proudly at the railing as the team came to bow and thank them for watching. Akaashi could tell the moment Bokuto spotted him and he grinned cheekily down at Bokuto, whose face lit up. Bokuto beamed up at them, having to get tugged away by Kuroo a second later. Then they made their way towards the exit in hopes of spotting Bokuto when they came out.  


“Akaashi!” Bokuto shouted, practically sprinting down the hallway towards them.  


“Don’t run in the hallway Bokuto, you could hurt yourself or someone else.” He stated matter-of-factly, though he was smiling wide, so he was pretty sure the lecture lost its punch.  


“Hi mom!” He said, then looked torn for a second on who he wanted to hug first, but eventually settled on hugging his mom first. “I can’t believe you met Akaashi before I could introduce you!” He said, moving to hug Akaashi once he let go of his mom.  


Akaashi laughed as Bokuto hugged him hard enough to lift him off the floor. He couldn’t even find it in him to lecture him again. “Well, it seems like she already knew everything about me.” He said once he could breathe again.  


Bokuto blushed a little and rubbed the back of his head, “Sorry.” He said.  


Akaashi shook his head. “Don’t be.”  


Miriko watched the exchange silently, a soft smile on her face. She didn’t know what it was about Akaashi, but he put her at ease. And watching them then? She could see the adoration in both of their eyes. “Good job today sweetie.” She said. “Straight sets on your first match!” She pumped her hand in the air and laughed.  


Bokuto grinned, “Oh, I gotta shower, but you wanna grab dinner together? I’m starving.” He said.  


“You’re always starving.” Akaashi laughed, “Go get cleaned up, we can wait outside for you.”  


As Akaashi and Bokuto’s mother waited outside, Miriko talked incessantly about her son, which Akaashi definitely didn’t mind. Hearing stories from Bokuto’s point of view was always an experience with how animated a character he was, but hearing them from his mom gave them a new dimension. He especially loved the stories that he had heard before, but he had obviously bent the truth slightly so that he wouldn’t get in trouble as a youth.  


One of those stories was about how Bokuto had gotten twenty stiches in his arm while he was at Kuroo’s house during their final summer break before the end of high school. Bokuto’s mom had said that Koutarou had fallen down the stairs and smashed through a window. Which, that was true, Akaashi had asked about the scar weeks ago, but apparently Bokuto had forgotten to mention to his mom that him and Kuroo were piss drunk and that they had tried to get Kenma to sew it together, but he had insisted on calling the hospital. Good thing Kenma hadn’t wanted to drink, otherwise they probably would have had to call an actual adult.  


Needless to say, Kuroo’s mom was not very happy when her and her husband came home from their vacation to find a huge hole in their house with a trash bag taped around it. When Bokuto appeared he had a huge grin on his face, “Tellin’ stories about me?” He asked, laughing as they walked out of the parking lot to get food.  


“Yes, she was just telling me how much of a brat you were as a child.” Akaashi responded, laughing when Bokuto looked scandalized. Akaashi let Bokuto and his mom decide on the restaurant and followed a step behind as they talked, both of them making sure he was included in the conversation.  


“So dad couldn’t make it?” He asked as they sat down for dinner.  


“No, sorry sweetie, he had a conference. Oh, but he gave me a card.” He said. She said, reaching into her purse and drawing out a small card.  


Bokuto grinned and took the card, “Thanks!” He picked up his knife and opened the card, laughing when he saw the owl pun printed on the front. That was when Akaashi noticed that it was a birthday card.  


“Wait, wait, wait. When was your birthday?” He asked, suddenly feeling like a jackass for never asking.  


“Oh it was in September!” He answered.  


“Well now I feel like a terrible boyfriend.” He moped, fiddling idly with his fingers.  


Bokuto shook his head, “Don’t, I never told you.” He said shrugging, “When is yours?”  


“December 5th.” Akaashi answered.  


Miriko laughed, “Oh man, you guys are ridiculous.” She said, shaking her head.  


Bokuto grinned and under the table slid his hand between them to play with the hole in Akaashi’s slightly ripped jeans. “Yeah. But I don’t mind if he doesn’t mind.” Bokuto replied.  


Akaashi laughed and swatted at Bokuto’s hand.  


When dinner was finished and the check was dropped at the table, Akaashi had to use his super-fast reaction skills in order to stop either of the Bokuto’s from grabbing for it.  


“No, Akaashi, you can’t pay! You traveled all the way out here to watch me play.” Bokuto whined, at the same time that his mother said, “Oh sweetie, you shouldn’t pay for that.”  


Akaashi huffed and smiled, “I’ve got it. It was lovely meeting you Bokuto-san.” He said, “And I like paying for you Koutarou.” He said, making his boyfriend blush. It wasn’t a lie, he did like to pay for Bokuto, but he didn’t get to very often. And Akaashi wasn’t stupid, he knew how much money a pro volleyball player was paid, and it was not nearly as much as Akaashi himself made.  


They both pouted at him, but Akaashi wouldn’t back down.  


When they stepped outside they bid Miriko good night, promising to see her at the game the next day. Akaashi was about to wish Bokuto a good night too when he felt thick fingers wrap around his wrist. “Did you get a hotel?” Bokuto asked him.  


“Yeah, of course.”  


Bokuto hummed and rocked on his feet, obviously nervous to ask whatever question he had, whatever it was that he was getting at. “Can- uh, well you see-“ Bokuto took a deep breath and steadied himself, “Can I stay with you?”  


Akaashi raised his eyebrows, “Didn’t the team pay for your lodgings?” He asked.  


“Uh yeah, of course, but see I’m rooming with one of the teammates and I just thought that since you have the room already… And we didn’t really get to see each other too much before I left to come here.” He explained.  


Akaashi laughed, “Do you miss me Bokuto?” He said, running his hand up Bokuto’s arm.  


Bokuto blushed a little, but he nodded, “Yeah.”  


“Well, yes then.” He said, practically dragging Bokuto with him to the hotel.  


Bokuto hummed as they stood in the elevator, and texted his teammate to let him know he wouldn’t be back that night.  


Akaashi opened the door and let Bokuto into the hotel room. “You know,” He started, “You looked really hot out there today.” Akaashi said, rounding on Bokuto as soon as they were inside the door.  


Bokuto’s eyes went wide, taking a step back as he started to breathe the tiniest bit faster.  


Akaashi smiled and reached up to Bokuto down into a kiss, letting his fingers gently scratch at the base of Bokuto’s skull. Bokuto hummed into the kiss, letting his hands move to settle on Akaashi’s waist as he opened his mouth slightly.  


Akaashi had to stop himself from smiling into the kiss. After a few moments he took a step back, chuckling and pushing Bokuto back when he stepped forward to follow him. Bokuto whined. “’Kaashi, why’d you stop?” He mumbled, pouting.  


Akaashi’s eyes dropped down to that pouting lip, slightly red from their rather intense make-out session. “Because we should go to sleep.” He said.  


Bokuto frowned, “But it’s still early.” He reasoned. Which, it was earlier than they normally went to bed, but Akaashi thought Bokuto would be tired from his matches. He should have known better.  


“Okay.” He said, “Well, why don’t we at least get ready for bed. Then we can do whatever you want.” He said with a sly smirk. As he watched the blush creep up Bokuto’s face, Akaashi couldn’t help but chuckle, “Pervert.” He chided, stepping back entirely to grab some clothes out of his bag.  


Bokuto pouted, but he nodded and started towards the bathroom so he could take a proper shower. He sighed as he stepped under the hot water, feeling the heat rushing over his used muscles. He was so lost in the sensations, lips slightly parted, head tipped back, relishing in the warmth, that he startled when Akaashi slide his fingers up Bokuto’s back. He felt Akaashi shifting behind him, the gentle slide of his slender fingers mapping out patterns. He stayed still as Akaashi explored, not wanting him to stop.  


Akaashi drew lines between freckles, traced bones, and ran his fingers over old scars from stories not yet shared. “You know,” He started softly, “watching you play out there today was really incredible.” He said, leaning forward to kiss the back of Bokuto’s neck, not caring that he very nearly got water up his nose. “You’re like a magnet, you draw all the eyes in the court to you. You have such a large presence.” He mumbled, kissing his shoulder instead of his neck, trailing kisses as he spoke. He shifted his arms to wrap around Bokuto’s midsection, effectively plastering himself to Bokuto’s expansive back.  


Bokuto hummed, relishing in the praise being heaped on him.  


“Not to mention those knee pads.” Akaashi muttered, dragging his hands down from Bokuto’s abdomen to his thighs and squeezing. He nipped lightly at Bokuto’s shoulder before moving to grab the shampoo. “Tip your head back.” He commanded, squeezing the shampoo into his hands. After Bokuto obeyed, he lathered the soap into his hair, laughing slightly when Bokuto practically hummed under his fingers.  


“What about my knee pads?” He asked, confused.  


“They’re sexy.” Akaashi answered simply, laughing when Bokuto sputtered and turned towards him.  


“They’re just knee pads.” He laughed, tipping his head back to rinse his hair.  


Akaashi looked over Bokuto now that he was facing him and smiled. He ran his hands down Bokuto’s chest. “They… I’m not sure if I can describe it.” He said, rubbing his thumbs gently back and forth on Bokuto’s ribs. “It’s like your leg is all hidden, except this little sliver of muscular thigh that can sometimes be spotted above your knee pads but below your shorts. Like when you jump or squat.” He explained.  


Bokuto opened his eyes again, moving his head out of the spray of water. “And you called me a pervert.” He laughed. He leaned forward to kiss Akaashi, who hummed into it.  


Akaashi chased the kiss when Bokuto pulled away. “Yeah well, I guess I can’t deny that.” He laughed. Akaashi slid his hands further down until they were resting on Bokuto’s hips. “There are so many things I want to do to you.” He said.  


Bokuto grinned, “I want you to do them to me.” He chuckled, “But we should probably finish showering first.” He said, for once the reasonable in the relationship.  


Akaashi nodded, “That is true.” He turned Bokuto back around so that he could condition Bokuto’s hair. After, Bokuto returned the favor.  


When they finished showering they made their way to the bed with their towels around their waists. They were laughing as they bumped into things trying to walk while kissing. Bokuto plopped down on the bed, pulling Akaashi to him.  


Akaashi stopped himself from falling on top of Bokuto by placing his hands on Bokuto’s shoulders. He was towering over Bokuto like this, looking down at him. He tugged lightly on the ends of his hair, “Hey.” He said softly, unashamed of his nakedness.  


Bokuto looked up at him with large golden eyes, “You’re amazing Akaashi.” He said. He reached out to put his hands on Akaashi’s hips, tugging him closer. He blinked up at him before leaning forward to kiss one of his hipbones.  


Akaashi sucked in a sharp breath, “Not as amazing as you.” He hummed, burying one hand into his hair, the other one settling on his cheek.  


“Yes you are.” He breathed. “So amazing.”  


Akaashi leaned down to pull Bokuto into a kiss. He moved to straddle Bokuto, only to be stopped by the hands on his hips. He hummed and pulled back from the kiss, looking at Bokuto quizzically.  


“Can I suck you off?”  


Akaashi’s eyes grew wide and he swallowed thickly before nodding. “If you’re sure you want to.” He said, “But I don’t want to pressure you into anything.” He said, “I was planning to do that to you, too bad you beat me to the question.” He laughed.  


Bokuto grinned up at him, “I wanna. I wanna so badly.” He answered earnestly. He leaned in and kissed his hipbones again, “Never did it before though, so please take care of me.” He mumbled.  


Akaashi hummed, “That’s pretty hot in its own right.” He smirked, “Just don’t let your teeth touch my dick and you should do fine.” He said.  


Bokuto laughed and nodded, kissing his other hipbone. “We should switch spots.” He said, standing and turning them so Akaashi could sit. He kneeled down on the carpeted floor. “Ready?” He asked, though based on the semi that Akaashi had been sporting since they were in the shower, Bokuto would assume the answer was yes.  


Akaashi nodded silently and rubbed gentle circles at the base of his boyfriend’s skull, spreading his legs to give Bokuto room to settle between them. As Bokuto moved forward, rubbing his hands along the insides of Akaashi’s thighs, Akaashi knew he had never seen someone more excited to give him a blowjob.  


Bokuto slid forward, nipping at the insides of Akaashi’s legs, gauging his reaction as positive, then moving further up. Bokuto reached forward and took Akaashi in his hand, stroking him to full hardness. Once Akaashi was fully hard Bokuto peeked up at him as he moved forward, licking up the underside of Akaashi’s dick.  


Akaashi took a deep breath to stop himself from jerking, he let his gaze meet Bokuto’s and nearly choked at the earnest excitement in those eyes. “Fuck.” He moaned, watching Bokuto slowly take Akaashi into his mouth, “Don’t, hah, don’t take too much.” He mumbled. He didn’t really know what the state of Bokuto’s gag reflex was, but he didn’t want to test it on their first exploration into the art of blow jobs.  


Bokuto took Akaashi’s warning to heart and bobbed his head gently, not taking more than half of Akaashi into mouth. Akaashi reached down and guided Bokuto’s hand over the part of his dick that Bokuto’s mouth wasn’t reaching.  


Akaashi moaned softly as Bokuto continues his ministrations. “It sounds weird,” He mumbled, “But you need to drool more.” He said.  


Bokuto furrowed his brow, but listened to the advice, making the slide of their hands easier over Akaashi’s length.  


“Yeah just like that. Perfect.” He sighed. “Can you go faster?” He asked, guiding Bokuto with the hand on the back of his head. “Yeah. Koutarou.” He groaned, tipping his head back and trying fruitlessly to control his breathing. Maybe if he were with someone else, Akaashi would be embarrassed about how close he was already.  


Bokuto pulled off with a slick noise, moving his hand to cover Akaashi’s whole dick. “You’re so pretty.” Bokuto moaned, he always wondered if he would enjoy sucking dick, the answer was a resounding yes. “I can’t wait to get better at this. Then I can really make you lose your mind.” He said, smiling before moving to take Akaashi back into his mouth.  


Akaashi swallowed and watched with rapt attention as Bokuto went back down on him. “Trust me, you’re doing just fine.” He said.  


Bokuto moaned around Akaashi’s length, causing Akaashi to jerk at the unexpected sensation. Luckily, Akaashi didn’t go deep enough to cause Bokuto to gag, but he gave himself a slight scare. Bokuto, feeling emboldened, took Akashi slightly deeper into his mouth.  


Akaashi didn’t last much longer. He moaned, hand in Bokuto’s hair tugging slightly until he pulled off. Akaashi moved his hand, still holding Bokuto’s faster over his dick, “Ah, almost-“ He cut himself off with a hitching breath as Bokuto leaned forward to kiss at the tip, taking him ever so slightly into his mouth as Akaashi came. He watched as Bokuto grimaced at the taste against his tongue. “You… you didn’t need to do that.” He huffed between labored breaths.  


Bokuto swallowed and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I wanted to, though I didn’t expect it to taste so gross.” He said, he leaned his head against Akaashi’s knee and looked up at him like he hung the stars in the sky. “That was fun, but I think my jaw is going to be sore tomorrow.” He laughed, causing Akaashi to laugh as well.  


“Yeah, it might be.” He said. Akaashi wiped his hand off on the bed and them cupped Bokuto’s face and brought their lips together. “Hopefully it will be a good ache.”  


Bokuto surged forward as Akaashi kissed him. Akaashi managed to get Bokuto to sit down on the edge of the bed, swapping spaces with him. Akaashi ran his hands up Bokuto’s shins to his knees. He frowned and ran his fingers gingerly over the red spots from Bokuto kneeling. “I hope that doesn’t bruise.” He hummed.  


“I hope it does.”  


Akaashi laughed and shook his head, pressing his lips to the inside of Bokuto’s knee. He trailed his lips up Bokuto’s thigh, skipping over his leaking erection, and kissed down the other one.  


“Tease.” Bokuto breathed out, making Akaashi laugh lightly as he bit a bruise into the sensitive flesh of Bokuto’s upper thigh. He ran his tongue down the cords of muscles, humming to himself. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was to be dating a volleyball player. He had amazing thighs and Akaashi would gladly suffocate between them. Bokuto gripped the sheets hard between his fingers, whining when Akaashi just barely grazed his lips across Bokuto’s length again, before moving on to suck a hickey into his inner thigh. “You’re killing me.” He groaned.  


Akaashi took pity on Bokuto after a healthy amount of teasing and shuffled forward on his knees so he could suck Bokuto into his mouth.  


Bokuto keened, his knee jerking and he let out a loud moan, panting over Akaashi’s head. Akaashi wasn’t sure he had ever seen such a strong reaction to someone getting their dick sucked. It filled Akaashi with pride.  


Bokuto didn’t last long, but Akaashi wasn’t really expecting him too, it was part of the reason he spent so much time teasing him. “’Kaashi ‘M close.” He mumbled, his fingers damn near ripping the poor bedspread in the effort to not buck his hips forward. Akaashi was prepared when it happened, swallowing everything despite the bitter taste. When he pulled off he wiped his mouth, letting out a surprised noise as he was suddenly hauled up into Bokuto’s lap so that Bokuto could kiss him.  


Akaashi broke their kiss a moment later, he leaned back, adjusting his legs so that they were both comfortable.  


“That was amazing Akaashi, sorry I didn’t last long.” He said, an excited flush high on his cheeks, his normally golden orbs looking like an eclipse with arousal.  


Akaashi smiled, “You did fine, besides blowjobs really strain your jaw if they go on for too long, so I don’t mind.” He said. He ran his fingers through Bokuto’s hair, brushing back the drying strands. “I enjoyed it either way.”  


Bokuto nodded, leaning forward to kiss Akaashi’s sternum. “Me too.” He hummed. “Do you think we’re moving too slow?” He asked, looking up at Akaashi.  


Akaashi shook his head, “I don’t think there is a specific speed we should be having sex at Bokuto.” He said. “I am more than happy to spend time with you without having sex.” He laughed, moving off Bokuto’s lap to grab one of their towels to wipe off their lower regions. “Besides, sex is far from the most important aspect of a relationship. In my, admittedly limited, experience with dating, the sooner we had sex the sooner we broke up.” He huffed, grabbing a clean pair of boxers and shimmying into them. He tossed Bokuto’s underwear to him too. “I think it’s much more important that we can spend the entire night eating food and watching terrible movies without getting bored of each other.”  


Bokuto watched Akashi move around the room, listening to him. “I guess you’re right.” He mumbled. He laughed when Akaashi pushed his palm against his chest, forcing him to flop backwards onto the bed.  


“I know I am. Let’s go to sleep Bokuto.”  


“Call me Koutarou.”  


“Let’s go to bed Koutarou.”  



	6. Chapter Six

Morning came too soon for Akaashi, groaning when he felt the other body in his bed shifting. “Sorry Keiji.” He heard Bokuto mumble, felt him press a soft kiss to his temple. “Go back to sleep. I’m just gonna go for a run.” He said.  


Akaashi nodded and buried his face back into the blankets and promptly falling back off the edge of oblivion.  


He woke up more fully when his alarm went off. He could hear the shower running, but he resisted the urge to roll over and go back to sleep. Instead he dragged himself up and over to his suitcase to get dressed for the day. As he was pulling on his socks Bokuto emerged from the bathroom and grinned at Akaashi. “Good morning.” He cheered. “I grabbed some food on my way back.” He said, pointing towards the counter.  


Akaashi smiled, “That was very thoughtful.” He said. He stood up and padded his way over to the counter to start digging into the convenience store rice balls. Bokuto joined him a moment later. “You need more than just this for breakfast, you’ve got a game today.” He said.  


“Oh well, I told Kuroo to grab something when the team has breakfast.” He said.  


Akaashi nodded, “I feel bad that you missed your team breakfast.”  


Bokuto shook his head, “Don’t.” He laughed, “I asked to be here.” He said.  


Akaashi smiled and leaned up to kiss Bokuto, who had already finished both his rice balls. “I had a good time last night.”  


“Me too Keiji.” Bokuto whispered, meeting the kiss softly, he watched through hooded eyes as Akaashi flushed, presumably at the use of his first name. “We should get going soon.” He said.  


Akaashi nodded and gathered up his luggage so he could store it behind the desk after checking out.  


  


That day, Bokuto’s team won 3 games in straight sets again while Akaashi stood with Bokuto’s mom and cheered. Akaashi knew he wouldn’t be able to make it to all of Bokuto’s games, but he certainly wanted to. When their final game ended with Bokuto getting a good spike in, Akaashi grinned and cheered his boyfriends name, laughing when Bokuto turned towards him and cheered back, “Hey, hey, hey!’  


Akaashi and Miriko waited outside, just as they had the day before. When Bokuto joined them he was red-faced, but he smiled at them. “’Kaashi, what time is your train?” He asked.  


“Ah, soon.” He said, checking his watch, “I have about 45 minutes.” He smiled, “But I wanted to see you before I left.” He said.  


Bokuto grinned, “Ah, thanks!” He turned towards his mom, “I’m so glad you made it to my game!” He cheered, Bokuto loved being the center of attention. That was something that Akaashi had come to learn over time, so he was sure that Bokuto was being earnest when he said that. He leaned in and gave Akaashi a quick kiss before giving his mom a kiss on the cheek, “I have an interview with the team, but I’ll see you soon!” He said.  


Akaashi watched Bokuto run back towards the gym and reached up to touch his lips. He was surprised that Bokuto had kissed him in public with all the camera crews around. Sure, they had never really hid their relationship before, but it was nothing more than holding hands. He had purchased a couple magazines with articles about Bokuto since they had started dating, but nothing had ever said he was gay, so Akaashi assumed he was just out to friends and family.  


Miriko seemed to be gauging Akaashi’s reaction. She laughed and slapped him on the back. “He really just does whatever he wants huh?” She said.  


Akaashi turned to look at her and smiled, “Yeah, but I don’t think that it’s a bad thing most of the time. He just surprised me.” He explained, “Well, it was great to meet you Bokuto-san.” He said, bowing politely. “I really do have to get to the train station though.” He said.  


She nodded and smiled, “It was lovely meeting you, too.”  


  


It was a few days after the first set of games when Bokuto came busting into the sanctuary, “Akaashi!” He shouted, earning a squawk from somewhere within the building. “Ah, sorry!” He said, kicking off his shoes as he ran over to where he assumed Akaashi was.  


When Bokuto rounded the corner he saw Akaashi, flopped backwards on his butt, presumably having fallen from a squat when Bokuto had surprised him. “You’re later than usual.” Akaashi commented, rolling his head back to look up at Bokuto.  


Bokuto laughed and ruffled Akaashi’s hair, pulling a feather out of it. He reached over and grabbed the large leather glove. “Can I hold Wasabi-san?” He asked.  


Akaashi sighed and nodded, “Hold your arm out.” He said, he gently nudged the bird onto Bokuto’s arm and forced himself to stand up. He patted down the feathers that had fallen out of the large hawk when Bokuto spooked him. “Can you hold him for a little longer?” He asked, when Bokuto nodded, Akaashi walked off to grab the camera. He came back soon enough and crouched down to get a photo of Bokuto with Wasabi-san. He helped Bokuto stand back up without jostling the bird and they made their way outside. “Ready?” Akaashi asked.  


Bokuto nodded, staring at the bird as Akaashi unclipped the bird from the glove and clicked his tongue, getting the bird to take off and fly away. Bokuto watched in stunned silence as the bird spread his wings and took off. “Wow.” He muttered. He had spent so much time with the birds since he had first met Akaashi, but he hadn’t really seen something quite like that before. Akaashi lowered his arm and watched for a moment. He turned towards Bokuto after a few moments of silence. Bokuto hadn’t been able to be present for any releases.  


“Let’s go inside.” He said, pulling Bokuto by his elbow back into the building.  


  


Before they knew it, it was Akaashi’s birthday. Akaashi was humming to himself as he prepared breakfast. Bokuto had been out for his run, and finding it too quiet, Akaashi turned the TV onto the news for some extra background noise. He laughed a little bit when he saw that it was coverage for the Tokyo games just the other day. He propped himself up against the doorframe and watched the news broadcast while he waited for his rice to finish cooking. He smiled to himself as he watched the camera focus in on Bokuto. He looked to serious when he hit a spike, unfortunately they cut out his exuberant reaction to getting it in.  


Akaashi had been with Bokuto long enough at this point to see how Bokuto could lose his rhythm on the court. He didn’t want to say that it had cost them games in the past, because no single person could ever be the cause of losing the whole 3 sets, but it can definitely throw the rest of the team off. They had lost one of the sets in Fukui, but they managed to take it back and win the game. However, Bokuto had been off his game ever so slightly and it cumulated in one of their sets, and he had to sit the last set out. It had hurt to watch that one, and Bokuto had been mopey all night after that.  


Akaashi had been happy to see that he did not have to sit out the next day, and he brought it back hard, winning three straight sets with his team. They lost a set in Sumida a couple weeks later, but Bokuto hadn’t been off that day, though he did get exceedingly aggravated as the opponent had been so good at picking up his spikes. Even when he got past the blockers it had seemed like the volley went on forever just to get one point.  


Then there had been the matches they played in Osaka, which had been rough. Bokuto’s team lost that match. The first day in Osaka had been great, they won in straight sets, like they had seemed to be doing fairly consistently, but the next day… They won the first set, but then lost the three subsequent sets. Everyone in the team had worked hard that day, but the other team seemed to have their act more together after losing the first set, they came back harder and they played well. Bokuto’s team hadn’t played well enough to beat them.  


Just a couple days before, the MSBY Black Jackals had won in straight sets two days in a row in Tokyo. Even though Akaashi had been standing in the audience, there was something different about seeing the game on TV. Maybe it was because they could do replays on the television. They could manipulate the footage and slow it down, replaying when there was a particularly amazing spike or receive.  


Akaashi was jerked out of his reverie when the timer for his rice went off. He turned back to his kitchen to finish cooking, but not before turning up the volume so he could hear it in the kitchen.  


He listened intently as they described a play-by-play of the longest volley in the set. It had been pretty intense, their opposition had an amazing libero. From the play-by-play, the news broadcast switched to coverage of the interviews after the game. It wasn’t uncommon for the press to talk to the players after the game ended, usually focusing on the star players. He listened idly as the captain spoke for a bit before switching to talk about their spikers. Akaashi listened intently as Bokuto excited answered the barrage of questions, no doubt having been asked them many times by different interviewers.  


_“Hello Bokuto-san, do you have time for a few questions?  
_

_Yeah! Of course!  
_

_Okay, awesome, what do you think is the best part of competing?  
_

_Gah, uh, probably the feeling at the beginning of the match. That feeling that what happens in the future and whether or not you can win the next match, none of that matters. Crushing the guys in front of you, and the amazing feeling of having shown 120% of your strength. That’s a great feeling.  
_

_Great! That’s a good answer Bokuto-san. Very motivational. How does it feel to be one of the best aces in Japan? You’ve maintained that position since High School, right?  
_

_Yeah, but I used to be in the top three. Kind of sucks that I know there are people out there that can spike better than me, but it just means I gotta work harder to earn that spot back!  
_

_Well, you know they’re working harder to stay ahead of you.  
_

_That’s half the fun. Knowing that I am going against the strongest people in Japan? That’s a crazy good feeling. Especially when we win.  
_

_Just a few weeks ago you lost a match in Osaka, how did that feel?  
_

_Terrible. I hate losing, but I’m glad it isn’t like in high school. Now we don’t have to stop playing if we lose one match.  
_

_So you’re saying it’s okay to lose a match?  
_

_No! Of course not, has anyone ever though that it would be okay to lose a match?  
_

_Probably not, I see your point... Is there anyone you wish watched you perform at every match?  
_

_My mom tries to make it to a lot of them. And I wish my dad could get to more. But, I uh- I’d really like it if my partner could be at all of them.  
_

_Is this ‘partner’ the man you’ve been spotted kissing?  
_

_Ah! Really? I didn’t know anyone saw that!  
_

_Well, there is some speculation that you’re dating a man, is this true?  
_

_Hm, yeah.  
_

_So you’re gay? This makes you one of the only openly gay volleyball players, do you think that will have an effect on your popularity?  
_

_I don’t know, maybe? I hope not.  
_

_Well, thank you for your time Bokuto-san._  


The interview ended there and Akaashi frowned at the screen. He had wondered if that would come out, they weren’t very discreet about their relationship.  


Akaashi looked up as he heard the key rattle in the door, “Welcome back Bokuto.” He said, laughing at the state his boyfriend was in. He looked like a drowned rat.  


“Thanks ‘Kaashi.” He grumbled, “Can I have a towel?” He stood in the genkan, kicking off his soaking wet shoes. Akaashi appreciated that Bokuto didn’t just drag himself, dripping wet, through the apartment. He moved the pan off the stove and made his way to the closet to retrieve a big fluffy towel. He tossed the towel over Bokuto’s head and started drying his hair, leaning in to give him a quick kiss.  


“I didn’t know it was supposed to rain today.” He said. Bokuto shrugged, taking the towel to dry his clothes off enough to walk through the apartment.  


“Me neither.” He admitted, “I’m gonna take a shower.”  


“Breakfast is almost done, so don’t take too long.” Akaashi said, smiling at him.  


When Bokuto emerged from the bathroom Akaashi set him out a bowl of rice with grilled fish on top. “Enjoy.” He said, sitting across from him with his own food. He let the silence hang there, comfortable in their companionship as they ate. But he couldn’t keep silent forever, the memory of that interview weighing down on him. “Bokuto?” Bokuto looked up, his mouth full, but he nodded to show he was listening. “I saw your interview after the Tokyo game… Are you okay with that? Coming out to the whole world?”  


Bokuto swallowed his food and shrugged, “Well, I don’t really care. I had to hide myself for so long when I was younger. I was okay just not talking about it, but I don’t ever want to have to hide like that again.” Akaashi had to admit that was an oddly mature view of things for Bokuto, but it sets his nerves to ease a little bit. “Are you okay though?  


Akaashi raised his brow, he supposed it would make sense if he wasn’t, Bokuto basically outed him to the whole world, but did Akaashi care? “I think I’m okay with it.” He said, “I mean, I doubt I’m going to get any backlash from it.”  


“You never know, I could have crazy fans.” He responded with a soft laugh.  


“I think I can handle it.”  


Bokuto grinned wide, “Let’s go on a date.”  


“It’s raining.” Not even perturbed by the sudden change in conversation.  


“It’s your birthday though! I wanted to treat you to something special!” Bokuto exclaimed.  


Akaashi rolled his eyes, but he smiled at his boyfriend, “Let me think about it then. It’s early enough, we don’t have to go out right away.” He said. Bokuto seemed to agree with him since he didn’t contradict him. When they were finished eating, Bokuto ran to the bedroom and pulled a box out of his overnight bag.  


“Happy Birthday Keiji!” He said, plopping the box down on the table.  


Akaashi reached forward and grabbed the box, “Thank you Bokuto. You didn’t need to get me anything.” He said sincerely. He felt bad because he didn’t even know when it was Bokuto’s birthday, so he hadn’t gotten him anything. He gently peeled back the wrapping paper and pulled out one of the items. It was a plain black t-shirt, but he started laughing at the writing on it, ‘Sorry I’m late, I didn’t want to come’ and another one that said ‘pothead’ but had a pot of coffee printed on the front. “Thank you Bokuto.” He said. He wasn’t entirely sure that he would wear the pothead one, but he did like them both.  


Bokuto grinned, he got thanked twice so Akaashi must have really liked them. “You’re welcome!” He said, leaning in to kiss him briefly before gathering up the dishes and tossing them in the sink.  


Akaashi stood and went to help Bokuto with the dishes, but he was chided, so he went to his bedroom to toss the shirts in the laundry bin. When he came back out he watched Bokuto, who was humming and dancing to some music he had playing from his phone. Akaashi smiled and fit himself snugly against Bokuto’s back, placing his hands firmly on Bokuto’s hips, swaying with him.  


“Kaashi?” Bokuto whispered, seeing if there was something Akaashi needed from him, but Akaashi silenced him with a hum. He hooked his chin over Bokuto’s shoulder and buried his nose in the still damp hair behind Bokuto’s ear. He felt Bokuto huff a laugh, but he didn’t argue. He did however, slow down their swaying. It was ridiculously domestic and Akaashi was smitten. He almost wished he could spend every morning like this. It didn’t feel like they had only been dating for just under 4 months.  


When Bokuto finished the dishes he dried his hands and placed them over Akaashi’s own, dragging them to wrap around him fully and holding him in place. It felt like forever, the time they spent swaying to the rhythm, wrapped up completely in each other. “I love you.” Akaashi whispered, kissing the skin on the back of Bokuto’s neck. He felt Bokuto shiver and fall still.  


“I love you too.” Bokuto said, then he turned around in his embrace, pulling Akaashi in for a kiss. “Let’s have sex.”  


Akaashi stared at him for a moment before laughing. “What?”  


Bokuto frowned. “Let’s have sex.”  


Akaashi sucked in a breath as he realized that he did, in fact, hear Bokuto correctly. “Right now?” He asked, he watched Bokuto nod and his mind reeled. Luckily, he came to his senses before he could shove Bokuto against the counter and ravish him. “We can’t.”  


Bokuto’s face, once filled with hope and happiness, crumpled when Akaashi said that.  


“No- I- I want to.” He amended, reaching up to cup Bokuto’s face before he could pull away completely, “But you have a game tomorrow, and you’ve already expressed that you would rather bottom, so I don’t want to have you walking funny before the game.” He rushed out, feeling silly for making Bokuto doubt that he wanted him.  


Bokuto stared at him a moment before cocking a sly smile, “You plan on fucking me hard?” He asked, dropping his voice some in an attempt to sound sexy. He wasn’t sure it worked, but Akaashi visibly shuddered, so he counted it as a win.  


“Fuck, yeah.” Akaashi muttered, he leaned up and kissed him briefly, “We could do other sex-related things though.” He suggested.  


Bokuto grinned wide and nodded, “Yes please!” He responded, making Akaashi laugh as he pulled Bokuto into the bedroom. He kissed him before pushing him back by his shoulders so Bokuto landed on the bed with a soft thump. Bokuto stared back up at him with excitement in his gaze, and maybe just a little trepidation.  


Akaashi stepped between Bokuto’s slightly spread legs, but didn’t join him on the bed just then. He placed his hands on Bokuto’s knees and leered over him, “Was there anything you wanted to try?” He asked.  


Bokuto licked his lips nervously, but shook his head, “I can’t think of anything at the moment.” Which was probably more honest than he needed to be. At that moment, with Akaashi standing over him like that, he looked so in-charge and Bokuto was having trouble thinking of anything other than how attractive he found his boyfriend. He wanted Akaashi, but that was all he could process.  


Akaashi smiled gently at Bokuto and hummed, “Well, I have some ideas.” He said. He had so many ideas. He thought back to the box discreetly hid under Bokuto’s bed back at his apartment and he mourned the loss for a moment. He wanted it to feel good for Bokuto. He rubbed his thumbs in easy circles while Bokuto fidgeted under his gaze.  


After a moment he moved forward to straddle Bokuto on the bed. He leaned over and kissed him, easing them into the kiss. Bokuto, always so full of energy, tried to deepen the kiss almost immediately, but Akaashi kept the kiss slow and languid.  


Bokuto felt like they were kissing forever before Akaashi finally deepened the kiss. Bokuto let out a soft, breathy moan as he felt Akaashi shift against him. Bokuto moved to rest his hands on Akaashi’s thighs, rubbing at the soft skin there.  


By the time Akaashi sat up, they were both hard and basically drunk off each other. Bokuto moved his hands up, slipping his fingers under the edge of Akaashi’s shorts. “I wanna suck you off.” He said, causing Akaashi to smirk and quirk an eyebrow.  


“I thought you didn’t have any ideas.” Akaashi teased.  


“I changed my mind.” He mumbled, “But I like having you on top of me.” He admitted.  


Akaashi smiled, “I’m glad you can say that.” He said, remembering how embarrassed Bokuto had been when Akaashi had found out that Bokuto wanted to bottom. Akaashi shuffled forward until his knees were resting on either side of Bokuto’s head, “I think we can combine those two things.” He said.  


Bokuto’s eyes widened as Akaashi eased himself into a position that was comfortable. “Fuuuck.” He moaned, turning his head to kiss the inside of Akaashi’s thighs. “You might need to take your pants off.” Bokuto laughed, “I think you’re gonna kick me in the head if you try from there.”  


Akaashi rolled his eyes, but he had to admit that Bokuto was probably right. Akaashi rotated himself off Bokuto’s shoulders to shimmy out of his pants and underwear while Bokuto sat up to strip out of his shirt and his shorts, though he kept his underwear on. He laid back down and patted his chest.  


Akaashi smiled, kissing Bokuto before getting back into prime mouth-fucking position. Akaashi ran his fingers through Bokuto’s hair softly, “Are you sure this position is okay?” He asked, because he knew that Bokuto was inexperienced. When Bokuto nodded enthusiastically, Akaashi hummed, “Okay, if you’re struggling or you need to stop, tap my knee twice.” He said, laying down the rules.  


“Okay ‘Kaashi.” He mumbled. He reached forward and swatted at Akaashi’s hand so that Bokuto could wrap his own hand around Akaashi’s length. His other hand settled on Akaashi’s ass, pulling him forward as he opened his mouth, urging Akaashi to slide into the wet heat.  


Akaashi moved his hips slowly at first, experimentally. He didn’t want to push Bokuto too far, so he tried to keep his thrusts shallow. Akaashi moaned as Bokuto pulled him in further, sucking him in. Akaashi tugged lightly on Bokuto’s wild hair. “So good for me Koutarou.” He moaned.  


Bokuto moaned around Akaashi’s length, he dug his nails into Akaashi’s ass, dragging him further, until he could just feel the tip hitting the back of his throat. He didn’t dare take any more into his mouth, but he did his best with what he could take. When breathing got hard, Bokuto pulled Akaashi out of his mouth and moved to kiss up Akaashi’s leg, moving his hand from Akaashi’s butt to his length.  


Once he felt like he had caught his breath, Bokuto went back to work on Akaashi’s length. It didn’t take very long before Akaashi was pulling on Bokuto’s hair, panting out moans above him. “I’m close.” He murmured. Bokuto didn’t think too much of it, he just worked him over harder. So it caught him a little off guard when Akaashi came, filling Bokuto’s mouth, making him cough.  


Akaashi’s eyes widened as he realized what was happening. He scuttled down Bokuto’s torso and helped Bokuto sit up. “You can spit you know.” He said, grabbing tissues off the night stand.  


“It’s okay.” He huffed between coughs. He licked his lips and looked shyly up at Akaashi. “Sorry.”  


“What are you apologizing for?” Akaashi asked, reaching out to wipe off some of the come on Bokuto’s chin.  


“Didn’t I ruin the mood by choking?”  


“What? Of course not.” He chuckled. He reached down and cupped Bokuto through his underwear. “Besides, it seems like you’re still in the mood.” He laughed.  


Bokuto groaned and slumped forward against Akaashi’s shoulder. “Point made.” He choked out. He felt more than heard Akaashi laughing, but he couldn’t find it in him to care when Akaashi was working his hand inside his underwear. It didn’t take very long for Akaashi to get Bokuto to come as well.  


After his orgasm, Bokuto was totally boneless, leaning against Akaashi. Eventually, after he caught his breath, Bokuto turned his face towards Akaashi’s neck. He kissed his neck a few times before pulling back, “I love you Keiji.”  


Akaashi flushed and leaned in to kiss Bokuto, “I love you too Koutarou.” Akaashi shuffled off Bokuto’s lap all together, wiping his hand off with some tissues. “Let’s get cleaned up then we can figure out what to do today.” He said.  


  


After they were cleaned up they decided to spend the day wandering around Tokyo, they got lunch and just walked together under a shared umbrella. Bokuto took this opportunity to learn even more about Akaashi, he hoped Akaashi didn’t think he was prying, but he managed to wiggle a bunch of information about Akaashi’s family. “Do you think I’ll ever meet them?” He asked as he pushed the remnants of his crepes around on his plate.  


Akaashi hummed, “I don’t know. Probably.” He answered. “I’ve only talked to my parents a handful of times since I graduated from high school though. They didn’t appreciate my pension for dating guys and I didn’t appreciate the way they treated me for it.” He hasn’t been invited home since he left, even though he does occasionally talk to them. “Oh.” Akaashi pulled his phone out to bring up some photos. “My sister just got married though.” He leaned in so he could show Bokuto the photos from the wedding. Him and his sister got along fairly well, she didn’t really care that Akaashi was gay, not anymore at least.  


Bokuto grinned, asking a bunch of questions as Akaashi flipped through, somewhat familiarizing himself with the different faces of the Akaashi family. “You’re the cutest though!” He announced, leaning in to kiss his boyfriends cheek, much to Akaashi’s amusement.  


“Thank-you Bokuto.” He laughed.  


Bokuto grinned and pulled his own phone out to show Akaashi photos of his own family. Bokuto was an only child, which meant he didn’t have a lot of people to show Akaashi, but he went ahead and showed him tons of photos of his childhood friends.  


By the time they were leaving the crepe place, the sun was already setting. They took the long way back to Akaashi’s apartment. “Thank you for walking me home.” Akaashi said as they stood in front of his door.  


Bokuto grinned and leaned in to kiss Akaashi, “My pleasure.” He hummed, letting their lips meet in a soft kiss.  


“I’ll be at your match.” Akaashi said, turning to open his door. “Have a good night Bokuto.”  


Bokuto gave a little wave before making his way back home.  


  


“You’re not staying at Akaashi’s?” Kuroo asked as Bokuto entered the apartment.  


Bokuto looked over at him and nodded, “Well, I don’t want to impose.” He said, “Besides, I feel like I’ve been staying there too much. I don’t want to annoy him.”  


Kuroo snorted, “Something tells me that Akaashi would definitely tell you if you were annoying him.” He turned fully towards Bokuto, “Wanna watch a movie?”  


Bokuto grinned and nodded. He noted that Kenma wasn’t in the room, but he assumed he was just busy on his vlog or something. Kuroo smirked and lifted his arm so Bokuto could curl up against his side. “I’m gonna miss you when you move away.” He said. “I feel a little guilty that I’m not spending more time with you.”  


Kuroo raised an eyebrow and laughed, ruffling Bokuto’s hair. “I’m just glad you’re happy.” He said, “Besides we’re still together for all of practice and during the games.” He laughed.  


“Well, I guess.” Bokuto watched as Kuroo put on an old favorite of theirs, he curled his legs up and pulled the blanket off the back of the couch, letting Kuroo rest his arm around him like they used to when they were kids. Not that they ever really grew out of their physical affections in their friendship.  


It didn’t take very long for Bokuto to fall asleep in those conditions, and he didn’t wake up until he heard Kenma quietly talking with Kuroo. He groaned and rubbed his eyes. Kuroo laughed and ruffled Bokuto’s already messy hair. “Go to bed.” He said, forcing Bokuto to sit up so he could get off the couch himself.  


Kenma smiled at his phone and led the way back to their bedroom, leaving Bokuto to drag himself off the couch and into his own bed. He barely bothered to shed his clothes.  


  


The next morning, Bokuto woke up to go for his daily run and saw he had a missed text from Akaashi. He opened it and snorted.  


‘You look cute drooling all over Kuroo like that. Good night Bokuto.’  


Bokuto looked at the forwarded message and groaned, Kenma clearly took a photo before he woke him up the previous night, because right there was a photo of him curled up against his best friend. And yeah, there was some drool.  


Bokuto took the time to send out a good morning text with some complaints about the teasing, light hearted complaints of course.  


  


Akaashi looked up when he heard the front door to the sanctuary open. “Bokuto? What are you doing here?” He asked, though he was smiling.  


“Ah, well, I know it’s like my rest day or whatever, but I was bored at home and I miss Peanut Butter.” He explained, “And you, of course.”  


“Of course.” Akaashi grinned, “Peanut Butter is in the aviary. But can I get your help with something before you go play with him?”  


“Yeah! I’ll still do the regular stuff.” He laughed, following Akaashi. Apparently he needed help moving some of the larger cages. They didn’t weight that much, but they were a little bit awkward to move alone.  


“Thank you.” Akaashi said, dismissing Bokuto to play with the owls. “Make sure you don’t scare any of the others.”  


Bokuto made his way into the aviary, grabbing the thick leather glove on his way. He clicked his tongue at Peanut Butter, who hooted back. He grinned and showed an impressive amount of gentleness as he reached out to stroke the owl’s head.  


Akaashi smiled as he watched his boyfriend, he never would have thought Bokuto would be capable of such gentleness when they first met, however, Bokuto had proven time and time again that he knew when he had to reign in his own strength and excitement.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments appreciated!!


	7. Chapter Seven

When the Jackals lost their match in Tokyo, Akaashi had offered to let Bokuto stay over, but he was surprised when his offer was turned around on him. Akaashi nodded, “I can go home and pack a bag after dinner.” He said, following Bokuto back to the lockers. He was 100% sure that he was not supposed to be there, but it was in their home gym so no one really questioned Bokuto. He stood nearby Bokuto’s locker while he changed out of his sweaty gear, the mood in the locker room was not good. Usually Bokuto was the guy who could lift anyone up, but he was such a vortex of emotion that this inadvertently had the opposite effect then.   


Kuroo looked over at Akaashi and gave him a weak grin. Akaashi smiled back. He wasn’t entirely sure why the mood was so sour, it was only the second match they had lost all season. That was incredible, they were definitely one of, if not the, top team. Akaashi expressed his thoughts on the eerily silent walk back to Kuroo, Bokuto, and Kenma’s apartment. Bokuto sucked in a breath and let it out through his nose. “Well, you played once right? Did you ever think it would be okay if you lost a match?” He asked.  


Akaashi thought it over, didn’t Bokuto say something similar during the TV interview? “No.” He said. He reached over to link his fingers with Bokuto’s.   


The rest of the walk was silent, though the air seemed a little lighter.   


After dinner, cooked by Kenma, they all piled onto the too-small, ratty couch in the living room. Akaashi was feeling pretty squished, but he ignored it because he knew this is what Bokuto needed. He leaned his head against Bokuto’s shoulder, relaxing into him. Bokuto was leaned up against Kuroo, with his arm slung around Akaashi. Kenma was sitting in Kuroo’s lap, surprisingly without a game in his hands, his feet tucked under Boktuo’s thighs. Kuroo seemed more than happy to have both of them leaning against him, one of his arms was circled around Kenma’s waist and his other was slung behind Bokuto, which meant his hand was resting in Akaashi’s hair.   


Over the few months that Akaashi had been dating Bokuto, he had become rather close to Kenma and Kuroo, somehow he didn’t even mind the hand occasionally ruffling his hair.   


Akaashi woke up to knocking on the door. He blinked his eyes open and looked around, everyone seemed to have fallen asleep on the tiny couch. “I’ll get it.” Kenma muttered, pulling himself off Kuroo’s lap and making his way to the door. Akaashi grabbed his phone to look at the time, surprised to see that it wasn’t very late. He heard soft voices talking at the door before two mysterious figured came into view.   


Akaashi looked up at them. The blond guy looked like he was probably around the same height as Kuroo and Bokuto, while the brunette was shorter than him. Akaashi moved to sit up, but Bokuto whined and pulled him closer, causing Akaashi to roll his eyes. “Hey Tsukki!” Bokuto grinned, “Hey Yama-Yama!”   


Akaashi pushed himself off Bokuto, ignoring the whining. “Hello.” He said, standing up to bow politely. “My name is Akaashi Keiji.” He introduced himself.   


“Nice to meet you.” The brunette answered bowing, “Yamaguchi Tadashi.” He straightened himself up, “This is my boyfriend Tsukishima Kei.” He said.  


Tsukishima rolled his eyes at Yamaguchi introducing him, but bowed too, “Tsukishima Kei.” He said.   


Kuroo grunted and shoved Bokuto off him so that he could also get off the couch. “I’ll grab the spare futon.” He said, making his way towards the closet.   


Akaashi raised a brow and looked at Bokuto, who had fallen down into the space Kuroo had vacated. “We could watch a movie first.” Bokuto called to Kuroo.  


“We were all fucking asleep.” Kuroo answered as he returned, dropping the futon right on top of Bokuto. “Besides I’m sure Tsukishima and Yamaguchi don’t wanna deal with you all night.” He said.   


Yamaguchi laughed, “We can set the futon up and watch a movie.” He pointed out. “We came to visit, it would be silly to not hang out.”   


Tsukishima huffed, but he didn’t say anything to disagree with Yamaguchi. “We brought alcohol.” Is what he actually said, obviously encouraging them.   


Akaashi wanted to argue that they probably shouldn’t get shitfaced considering that two of them did have another match he next day, but he just went along with it.   


  


It didn’t take very long for things to get rowdy. Between Bokuto and Kuroo being absolutely ridiculous drunks, and Tsukishima egging them on. Akaashi stood slowly and made his way back to the kitchen to refill his cup. He was definitely feeling the effects of the alcohol. It had been a long time since he had been drunk, but he could say with certainty that he was drunk. Kenma slid up next to him and caught his elbow. Akaashi turned and looked at him, then realized that he was about one second away from elbowing an empty bottle off the counter. “Oh.” He said, “Thanks.”  


Kenma smiled, “I wasn’t sure you were the type to drink.” He said, “Or at least I haven’t seen you drink with us before.” He said.   


Akaashi shrugged, “I don’t drink often.” He said, feeling like he was putting too much effort into enunciating his words. “But I trust most everyone here, I don’t think anything bad will happen.” He said.  


Kenma nodded, “Yeah, but you should go sit down before you fall down.” He said with a smirk, a look Akaashi definitely wasn’t used to seeing on his face. Akaashi nodded and wandered back to the living room to sit next to his boyfriend.   


As he stepped back into the circle of boys, Yamaguchi pointed at him and yelled “Pon!” Akaashi stared at him for a second before everyone in the circle burst out laughing and cheering, “Iki iki iki!”  


Akaashi laughed and took a long sip of his drink as he unceremoniously dropped next to Bokuto, who was shouting, “Pin!” Followed by Kuroo. The game continued with lots of drinks, Akaashi didn’t even notice when Kenma returned to the circle until he heard him saying “Pan.” A few moments later.  


It was late when Kuroo leaned over and kissed Bokuto’s cheek, he missed a little bit, but everyone decided to ignore that as the men hung off each other and complained about how much they would miss each other when Kuroo moved away. Akaashi had to lean away to avoid being hit by Kuroo’s arms. When he leaned back though he bumped into Tsukishima, “ah sorry.” He mumbled.  


Tsukishima waved him off, his eyes looking at the ridiculous duo. “I thought Kuroo and Bokuto were dating when I first met them.” He said, calm, with nothing but a slight slur to show that he also had been drinking. “When I found out they weren’t I was shocked.”  


Yamaguchi snickered next to them, leaning into Tsukishima’s lap to look at Akaashi, “Tsukki found out because Kuroo asked him for sex tips.” He laughed, “It was so funny to watch.”   


Tsukishima rolled his eyes but the annoyed look on his face was contrary to the hand he brought up to run through Yamaguchi’s hair gently. “It was awkward as fuck.”  


Yamaguchi laughed and pushed his face into Tsukishima’s chest. “It didn’t really clear up that they weren’t dating though.” He said, “Wasn’t until Tsukishima asked him why he and Bokuto didn’t just look it up online that Kuroo cleared up the confusion.”  


Akaashi laughed along with them, “Aren’t you his underclassmen? Why would he be asking you anyway?” He asked.  


Yamaguchi grinned, “Because we’ve been dating for a long time.” He said, emphasizing the word long.  


Akaashi raised a brow, “How long?”  


Tsukishima clicked his tongue, “Uh, like, 8 years?” He said, looking at Yamaguchi, “Right?”  


When Yamaguchi nodded, Akaashi was surprised, “Wow. You were really young when you got together.”   


“Probably way too young to date.” Yamaguchi said, “But it’s worked out so far.” He grinned and shifted to press his forehead against Tsukishima’s neck. “We didn’t have sex that young.” He amends, “Just so you know.”   


Akaashi shook his head, “You don’t need to defend your sex life to me. It’s not-“  


“Keiji!” Akaashi whipped his head around at the sound of Bokuto’s voice, wafting in from the kitchen. “Help, Kuroo took my mail!” He complained. Before Akaashi even had a chance to ask Bokuto what he was talking about, Akaashi saw Kuroo, who was cracking up, round the corner with a thin film of black between his fingers. Bokuto rounded the corner just after him, clearly trying to grab the item back from him. Rather than get trampled by the men running through the house, the three sitting on the floor pulled their legs in to make a path.  


“What is it?” Akaashi yelled, causing Kuroo to laugh harder through his breathlessness.  


“My x-rays!” Bokuto yelled, further confusing Akaashi for a solid minute until he realized what they were. Unfortunately, it was too late as Kuroo was holding the film up to the light overhead.  


“You really got that up there.” Kuroo teased, laughing when Bokuto whined, face red.  


“Is that-?” Yamaguchi looked above them and saw the clear shape of a pelvic bone.  


“A dildo.” Tsukishima finished deadpan. “You got a dildo stuck up your ass?” He asked.  


“Vibrator.” Akaashi corrected before he could catch himself. His eyes widened as he realized what he said, “Ah, sorry. I think I’m more drunk than I thought.”  


“Akaashi!” Bokuto wailed, trudging over to drop himself down next to his boyfriend. He buried his face in Akaashi’s lap. Akaashi rubbed his fingers into Bokuto’s hair.  


Kuroo was doubled over laughing. “Did you help him with that Akaashi?”  


Akaashi furrowed his brow, “Well I brought him to the ER?” He answered.  


“I meant did you help him get it stuck.” He cackled.  


“Ah, no.” He answered.   


“Kuroo.” Kenma said from the couch, the silent drunk, “You had to go to the ER because you tried to prove to me that you could use shaving cream as lube when we were like, 16.” He said.  


Everybody else bust out laughing while Kuroo gasped in betrayal. “You said you’d never tell!”  


Yamaguchi grinned and kissed Tsukishima’s neck, “Kei’s brother didn’t knock before entering and got a good look at me eating him out.” He mumbled, causing an uproar all over again and Tsukishima groaned, red-faced.   


“Shut up Tadashi.” He grumbled, causing the other to laugh.   


Kuroo plopped himself down next to Kenma and looked at Akaashi, “What about you Akaashi? I’m sure you’ve got some sort of embarrassing sex story.” He said. He felt Bokuto shift, curious golden eyes boring into him.   


Akaashi shrugged, “I got really drunk in college and one of my friends set me up with someone at a bar. He was hot and I was far too drunk, so I went back to his apartment with him. But when I started going down on him he started fidgeting, at first I thought I must have been doing good. Then, he pushed me away and ran to the bathroom. I didn’t really think about the fact that I had been snacking on Spicy Mimigar Jerky.” That elicited a wince from most of the people in the room. “Yeah.” He laughed. “The night ended there and I took a taxi back to the dorm room.”  


“Sex is so complicated.” Yamaguchi laughed, “Gotta make sure you don’t eat spicy foods or foods that will give you an upset stomach. There are so many supplies too! So much work.” He grumbled. Tsukishima chuckled at him, making Yamaguchi pout.   


Bokuto yawned and buried his face in Akaashi’s midsection. “I can’t wait.” He mumbled, looking up at Akaashi with more focus in his eyes than Akaashi had seen since before the drinks started getting poured.   


“Ah yeah, someday our fair lady will get laid.” Kuroo snickered.  


“You’re such a pain-in-the-ass Kuroo-san.” Akaashi said.  


Tsukishima and Yamaguchi looked at them, but thankfully neither of them said anything.  


Kenma stood up, “We should go to sleep. It’s getting late.” Begrudgingly, everyone agreed. Kuroo stood and stumbled ahead of Kenma to get to the bedroom, bidding a good night to everyone. Bokuto didn’t want to move. Akaashi rolled his eyes and tugged on Bokuto’s hair to try to get him to move his head. Bokuto moaned, loud and sudden, taking everyone off guard.   


Bokuto shot up, face red, and he shuffled off to the bedroom. Akaashi laughed and stood up, “It was nice to meet you Tsukishima and Yamaguchi.” The two of them nodded, standing up to get themselves situated in the futon and on the couch.   


When Akaashi opened the door to Bokuto’s bedroom, he saw his boyfriend face down on the bed. Akaashi walked up and brushed his fingers through the black and white hair. “Come on, you can’t go to sleep like that.”   


Bokuto rolled over and looked up at Akaashi, “I love you.”  


“I love you too.” He said, moving to straddle Bokuto’s lap.   


Bokuto smiled lazily up at him, settling his hands on Akaashi’s thighs. “Did you date a lot before?” He asked.  


Akaashi raised an eyebrow, “Are you jealous?” He asked, surprised.  


“No, I’m just curious. You haven’t talked too much about past relationships.” He said.   


“I didn’t think that would be polite.” He laughed. He tucked his fingers under Bokuto’s shirt, pushing it up until Bokuto let him take it off. “I didn’t really date much though.” He finally answered. Bokuto hummed, helping Akaashi out of his shirt. “I dated a few people, but never for very long. I’m pretty busy now, but I used to be even busier, so relationships usually took the back burner.” He watched Bokuto start to fumble with his pants, Akaashi let him struggle. “My friends were pretty supportive of my sexuality in my later years of university, which usually ended up with people trying to find people for me to hook up with.” He said. When Bokuto finally managed to get Akaashi’s pants unbuttoned, he pushed Akaashi back so he could pull off his pants.   


Akaashi let himself fall backwards onto the bed, he spread his legs out. “Is it good?” Bokuto asked asked. Akaashi watched Bokuto strip himself out of his pants and settle himself between Akaashi’s legs. “The hook ups I mean.”  


Akaashi shrugged, wrapping his arms around Bokuto’s neck, “They were fine. It was just meaningless sex.” He said.   


Bokuto nodded, leaning down to kiss Akaashi. When he pulled back, he cupped Akaashi’s face in his hands. “I never really saw the point in it.” He admitted, “But I’m kind of glad you’re not a virgin.” He laughed, “It makes me feel better that you’re going to know what you’re doing when you finally fuck me.”  


Akaashi sucked in a sharp breath and nodded, his face warm. “I can’t wait.” He said with a grin. He felt pinned under Bokuto’s gaze. Akaashi wrapped his legs around Bokuto’s waist and pulled him into a heated kiss. Their kisses tasted like alcohol and they got sloppier the longer they went on. Akaashi let out a large yawn, breaking their kiss.   


Bokuto laughed, “Let’s go to sleep.” He mumbled. Akaashi shook his head. Bokuto rolled his eyes, but let Akaashi pull him down to kiss him again. He felt Akaashi move under him. He groaned when his boyfriend rut against him. “Fuck.”   


Akaashi laughed, though it was cut off when Bokuto took over, grinding down against him. Akaashi tugged Bokuto into another kiss, letting Bokuto control the pace. Akaashi knew that Bokuto wanted to bottom, but he hoped that he wouldn’t mind switching sometimes. Akaashi gasped against Bokuto’s neck and moved his arms to push their underwear down to free their lengths. He wrapped his hand around the two of them and let Bokuto control the pace. “Koutarou.” He moaned softly, trying to be aware of the other 4 people in the apartment.   


It didn’t take that long for them both to hit their breaking point. Akaashi tightened his legs around Bokuto’s waist, dragging him in for a rough kiss as he tipped. He was followed pretty soon by Bokuto. They stayed as they were for a long moment as they caught their breath. “Keiji.” Bokuto mumbled, pressing a kiss to his temple. “Let’s go to sleep.”   


Akaashi let out a soft laugh and nodded, “Yeah, okay.” He mumbled back. They shuffled slightly, Bokuto grabbing a random shirt off the floor to sloppily clean up Akaashi’s stomach, they pulled their pants up and pulled the blankets over them before finally nodding off to sleep.  


  


Groans echoed throughout the small apartment as Kenma started waking everybody up. He hadn’t drank nearly as much as the others which left him with the unfortunate task of waking everybody up and getting them moving. Kenma stepped into Bokuto’s room, wrinkling his nose at the smell of sex and the sight of the mess in the room. He shook his head and threw open the curtains watching as the two men in the bed flinched and made noises of distress. “Wake up.” Kenma said, opening the window to let the cold air in.  


When he left Bokuto grunted, rolling on top of Akaashi and whining. “Don’t wanna.” He mumbled. Akaashi huffed as the heavy weight settled on top of him.   


“Me neither, but you have a game.” He grunted, shoving at Bokuto. “I’m taking a shower.” He said poking at the crust left on his stomach with a grimace.  


Bokuto laid back so Akaashi could crawl over him and get off the bed. “Can I join you?” He asked.   


Akaashi hummed non-committedly as he grabbed one of Bokuto’s shirt to pull on. “I never did go back home last night.” He suddenly remembered, which meant he probably didn’t have many options for clothes.   


“Oh, well you have some stuff here right?” He asked, walking over to open a drawer. There wasn’t much. “Well, we can figure it out after food and shower.” He said. Bokuto opened the door and glanced both ways before scooting across the hallway, quickly followed by Akaashi. They heard Kuroo make a noise of disagreement as he caught them, but they shut the door in his face.   


Somehow, they managed to get showered and clean without distraction. When they got out Bokuto knocked on Kuroo’s door to let him know that the shower was free.   


Bokuto threw on a simple outfit since he would just have to change when he got to the gym for their match. Akaashi looked through the clothes he had and sighed, “Can I borrow a t-shirt?” He asked.   


Bokuto laughed and nodded. “Yeah of course.” Akaashi was only three inches shorter than Bokuto, so hopefully the shirt would fit okay. It would probably just be a little loose because Akaashi wasn’t as built. He tugged on the jeans he had in the drawer and pulled on a blue shirt with little owls all over it. Then he pulled on the flannel shirt that was in his drawer.  


Bokuto waited until Akaashi was dressed before they made their way out to eat breakfast.   


Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were already sitting on the couch with their plates balanced on their laps when Bokuto and Akaashi joined them. There wasn’t enough room on the couch though so Bokuto told Akaashi to take the seat on the couch and he sat on the floor between Akaashi’s legs. “How long are you staying?” Akaashi asked the other two on the couch.  


Yamaguchi smiled, “Just a couple days. We wanted to come yesterday to catch the match, but Tsukishima had a meeting so we had to put it off.”  


Akaashi nodded, “Oh, what do you do for work?”  


Tsukishima looked over, “I’m a museum curator.” He said. “Tadashi works at an electronics store. You work at an owl sanctuary right?”  


Akaashi nodded, “Yes. Though we help more than just owls.” He said. Akaashi looked at Bokuto, who had gotten up to rifle through the refrigerator. He leaned over and talked low enough to not let him hear. “He is always so excited to see the owls, I can’t wait until April.” He chuckled.  


Yamaguchi hummed, “What’s in April?”  


“Mating season, I’m assuming?” Tsukishima spoke up, smirking when Akaashi nodded. “He will love it, I’m sure.”  


“I’m sure too.” Akaashi smiled at Bokuto when he sat back down behind him. “Thank-you.” He said as Bokuto placed a mug of coffee in front of him, and two pain meds. They all felt like garbage, but at least they all felt like garbage together.   


  


During the game, Kenma, Akaashi, Tsukishima, and Yamaguchi all sat together. This was great for several reasons, one of them being that Akaashi got to hear all about Bokuto in high school from Tsukishima and Yamaguchi.   


“I’ve played volleyball since I was a kid.” Tsukishima said. “But Bokuto is the reason why I fell in love with the sport.” He said. Which was perhaps a bit of an exaggeration.   


Akaashi glanced at Tsukishima and nodded, “Me too actually.” He chuckled, “So tell me how he made you fall in love.”   


Tsukishima snorted at the way he worded it, but he continued none-the-less. “Well, even though I had always played volleyball, I hadn’t really cared that much about the sport. Bokuto gave a pretty impassioned speech about it though, said a bunch of shit about needing a moment. We were on opposite teams, but Kuroo and Bokuto really helped me and another teammate, Hinata, learn a lot about the sport.” He said. “I didn’t really get what he said at the time, but once that moment happened, I understood. And he was right, I was hooked.” Yamaguchi smiled as he listened to his boyfriend tell Akaashi the story, Akaashi noticed out of the corner of his eye that Yamaguchi reached over to take Tsukishima’s hand.  


“Now Tsukki is a division two player with the Sendai Frogs!” Yamaguchi exclaimed, grinned wide when Tsukishima shot him an unimpressed stare.  


“I’m glad you were able to continue playing.” Akaashi said sincerely. “I played all through middle school and high school, but I dropped it when I started university, though I did end up getting back into it towards the end.” Akaashi watched the match with a lazy smile on his face, “I liked volleyball, but I didn’t think twice about giving it up, and even though I went back, I wasn’t all that upset when uni came to an end and I had to stop all over again. I don’t know if I would have given it up if I had played with Bokuto though.” He said sincerely, “Watching a star player like him, it’s one of the best feelings.”  


Tsukishima nodded in understanding, but their conversation was cut short by an amazing straight from Bokuto. So they were standing and shouting. It seemed that Bokuto was finally waking up. Bokuto and Kuroo had both been in rough shape when they stepped onto the court. They even had to give up the first set because they couldn’t get into a good rhythm. They were well on their way to winning the second set.   


  


They won the second, third, and forth set. When the game was over the two teammates came to meet them outside the arena. “Hey, hey, hey!” Bokuto cheered.   


Akaashi smiled, at them and let Bokuto sweep him into a large hug. “That was a good game Bokuto.” He said, leaning in to kiss Bokuto’s cheek. Bokuto beamed in response. “Let’s go get lunch.”  


Bokuto grinned and nodded, he turned to look at Kuroo and Kenma. “Wasn’t there a place you wanted to try out?” He asked.   


Kuroo shrugged, “We don’t have to go there.” But when no one argued that they shouldn’t, they followed Kuroo to the restaurant.   


  


After dinner Akaashi and Bokuto returned to Akaashi’s apartment. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay at your place?” Akaashi asked as he unlocked the front door. “Tsukishima and Yamaguchi aren’t in town very long after all.”   


Bokuto shrugged off his coat and pushed his shoes against the wall in the genkan, “It’s okay. I usually see them when I play in in Sendai.” He said. “Besides I feel bad because I forgot to tell you that they were coming over.”   


Akaashi chuckled and followed his boyfriend further into the apartment, “It ended up fine. I liked them, although I was a bit surprised.” He said. “Sometime I need to get you to meet my friends.”  


Bokuto grinned wide and patted the spot next to him on the couch, inviting Akaashi to join. “I would love to!” He said.  


Akaashi hummed and settled himself on the other end of the couch. When Bokuto looked at him quizzically, presumably because he sat so far away from him, Akaashi patted the seat next to him and lifted his arm. Bokuto beamed, shuffling across the couch and cuddling up next to him. “Tell me about them.” Bokuto demanded.  


Akaashi laughed and wrapped is arm tightly around his boyfriend, readjusting a little to hold Bokuto’s weight better. “I can do that.” Akaashi brushed his fingers through Bokuto’s hair. Bokuto listened intently as Akaashi started speaking about his other friends. They had come up often in stories, usually talking about his college days. Bokuto had once pointed out that Akaashi didn’t have much of a social life anymore, Akaashi had gotten offended.   


Bokuto laughed, but relaxed fully back against Akaashi, stretching across his lap and staring up at him. “I wanna meet them all.” He said.  


Akaashi hummed and reached out to drum his fingers on Bokuto’s taunt stomach. “I will see if they are available for a get together sometime.” He said. Akaashi reached for his phone and brought up the old group chat. It wasn’t used very much anymore, usually just around the holidays. “Oh that reminds me. My sister is having a baby shower in February and I would like you to go with me.” He said.  


Bokuto grinned up at Akaashi and nodded enthusiastically. He sat up just enough to kiss Akaashi’s chin before sprawling out again. “I did want to meet your family.” He said with a smile.   


Akaashi returned the smile, though it was much more wary. He had explained to Bokuto that he had issues with his family, but on top of that, Akaashi wasn’t sure they would actually like Bokuto himself. Not just because he is a guy, but because he is so different than everyone in Akaashi’s family. “I love you.” He mumbled, curling himself over Bokuto to kiss him.   


Bokuto couldn’t help but grin into the kiss, even if it meant that the kiss was broken. He grinned wider and sat up, chasing Akaashi’s lips. “You think I’ll break your legs if I sit in your lap?” He asked seriously. The fact that he actually thought that was a possibility caused Akaashi to laugh.   


“No Bokuto, I don’t think you’ll hurt me at all.” He said, moving with Bokuto to make sure he was comfortable when Bokuto straddled him, settling himself on Akaashi. “See?” He said, a soft smile gracing his features as he cupped Bokuto’s face, bringing him down for a kiss again.   


The hours seemed to pass slower when they were wrapped up in each other. They kissed and kissed, losing track of time and falling for each other all over again.  


They were still sitting on the couch, both exhausted and spent when Bokuto reached for his phone to check the time. “Do you want to come home with me for Christmas?” He asked before standing stiffly and shaking out his numb legs.   


Akaashi stared up and him for a second before nodding. “Sure.”  


  


The time between Bokuto’s last game of December and Christmas passed fast. Bokuto was happy to be able to spend more time at the sanctuary, having had to forgo going a lot of the time because of his games. Akaashi had tried to go to as many of them as possible, but he also had to be there for the birds. He was the only vet working there, everyone else who worked there either specialized in falconry, training, rehabilitation, or were simply caretakers. Which really, it was just one person per job description and Akaashi doubles as the caretaker and the vet. There wouldn’t be enough for him to do if he only did veterinary work there.   


Akaashi and Bokuto were lounging around Bokuto’s apartment, Bokuto watching TV while Akaashi balanced his laptop on his knees and looked at Bokuto’s volleyball schedule. “Are there any games you want me at?” He asked, turning to look over his shoulder as Bokuto.  


Bokuto looked at Akaashi then at his computer screen. “All of them.” He said cheekily. When Akaashi rolled his eyes Bokuto leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I don’t think that there are any games that are more important than others, but these ones,” Bokuto pointed at a few specific clusters of games, “Are kind of far to travel just to watch me play.” He said, “Oh and we aren’t playing here.” Bokuto frowned at the screen, “And this is the last game before finals.”  


Akaashi nodded and made the necessary notes. “I’ll take these days off to see your games.” He said, “And for the games in Tokyo I think I should be able to just shift my hours so that I don’t have to use my vacation time.” He said.   


Bokuto looked over the list and smiled, “You know, I love having you at my matches, but I don’t want you to use too much of your time off on me.” He said.  


Akaashi smiled back and him. “I’m not, don’t worry.” He said, “Some of these fall on the weekends where I usually just go in for emergencies.” He explained.   


Bokuto nodded, “Alright.” He said, “Ah, but what about transport. You- isn’t it expensive?” He said, it was something he hadn’t really thought about before since his team pays for the fees to get to all the games.   


“I make more than enough money to cover the transportation. Don’t worry Bokuto. I want to go, and I don’t mind spending the money to get there.” He could see that Bokuto was still bothered by it and he set his computer down, moving around on the couch until he could kiss Bokuto properly.   


After a rather intense make-out session, they settled back down and Akaashi grabbed the laptop again. “Did you still want me to come home with you for Christmas?” He asked.  


Bokuto nodded, “Yeah, I already told mom and dad you were coming.” He answered, “We just gotta buy our train tickets.”  


Akaashi hummed and went about bringing up the website to do just that. Bokuto and him spoke briefly about what train to use and what time to leave, but soon enough the tickets were bought and they allowed themselves to relax back into the couch to waste away the rest of their day off while the snow piled up on the city outside.  



	8. Chapter Eight

Even though Akaashi had met Bokuto’s mom a few different times, he still felt nervous as he and Bokuto stood on the step of Bokuto’s childhood home. Bokuto looked to him to confirm that he was ready, then pushed the door open. They stepped into the warmth of the house and Akaashi smiled immediately. It wasn’t a huge house, it was modest, but inside was obviously decorated by someone who cared about their family more than the aesthetic of the house.  


They took off their shoes in the entry way and Akaashi followed Bokuto into the house. “Pardon the intrusion.” They said. Bokuto led the way through the house to his old childhood bedroom. Akaashi stepped inside and laughed, “This is exactly what I imagined. Though I bet it’s cleaner now than when you lived here.” He said, looking at the posters and figurines.   


Bokuto laughed, “You caught me ‘Kaashi.” He said. He dropped his bag on the desk in the corner and took Akaashi’s to place it there too. “Mom texted me that she went to the store, and dad is still at work.” He explained.   


Bokuto sat down on the bed and beckoned Akaashi over. He was still looking around, but he went easily enough. He was about to sit next to Bokuto when he was pulled into his lap. He laughed loudly as Bokuto started kissing his face, pretty much all over. He pulled away and grinned, “You should show me the rest of the house.” He said.   


Bokuto nodded, and did just that. Akaashi stopped short at the small altar in the living room. “Who-?” Akaashi looked but there was no picture on the front and looked at Bokuto.   


Bokuto stopped next to Akaashi and looked at the altar. He kneeled in front of the shrine and Akaashi followed suit. “She would have been my little sister.” Bokuto explained. “She died before she was born though. My parents don’t really talk about it much. She was still born.”   


Akaashi looked at the shrine and bowed, paying his respects. “You would have made an amazing older brother.”   


Bokuto grinned, “I know, right? She would be 22 this year if she survived.” He said. “I know it’s probably weird to have one of these for someone who never lived in this world, but I think this was to help my mom cope. She was… not well after everything.” He said. “I didn’t really understand what happened until I was older.”   


Akaashi nodded, “I don’t think it’s weird.” He said. When Bokuto stood up and held out his hand, Akaashi smiled and took it, following Bokuto as he showed him the rest of the house. “You were a happy kid.” He noted, looking at all the photos around the house. Some of them were of Bokuto and his friends, some were the family, and some were even drawings or projects that Bokuto had presumably made when he was younger. Akaashi kind of wished that he had grown up in a household like this.   


They heard the door open and made their way over there to great Bokuto’s mom. “Hi mom!” Bokuto shouted, hugging her tightly. She grinned and wrapped her arms around her son, burying her face in his neck.   


“Koutarou, I’ve missed you.” She said. When they broke apart Bokuto took the shopping bags from her and brought them to the kitchen. Akaashi bowed to Bokuto’s mom, but before he could say anything, he was also enveloped in a hug. “Akaashi-kun, I’ve missed you too.”   


Akaashi stood there for a second surprised before he hugged her back. “It’s nice to see you again Bokuto-san.” He said.   


  


Bokuto’s father came home not too long after that. Bokuto was regaling his mother with tales of life in Tokyo, even though it wasn’t that far from where he grew up, when they heard the door. A moment later a tall man stepped into the kitchen. He was roughly the same height as Bokuto and had greying hair and a face that resembled his son’s.   


Akaashi stood and bowed politely, “Bokuto-san, my name is Akaashi Keiji, it is very nice to meet you.” Bokuto’s dad bowed back.   


“Nice to meet you too. I hope Koutarou isn’t causing you too much trouble.” He said with a friendly smile.   


“Dad!” Bokuto whined. “I’m not, I promise.” Bokuto stood from the table and went to give his father a hug.   


Akaashi watched on silently, thinking about how differently his upbringing was. He was so glad that Bokuto grew up in such a happy environment.   


“Dear, I made you a cup of cocoa too.” Miriko said, sliding the cup towards her husband.   


“Thank you.” He said, greeting her with a kiss on the cheek. “So Akaashi-kun, what is it again that you do?”   


Conversation flowed easily between the four of them while Miriko began fixing dinner with Bokuto’s help. They all stayed in the kitchen though, which Akaashi was grateful for. Bokuto’s dad seemed nice, but Akaashi was still slightly nervous. He wanted to make a good impression and the group setting made that easier.   


  


After they had all eaten Bokuto excused them, “Akaashi and I are kind of tired from traveling so I think we’re gonna go unwind in my room.” He said. Akaashi watched Bokuto hug both his parents again before they went to Bokuto’s room.   


“You’re parents are both so kind.” Akaashi said as he sat on the bed.   


Bokuto smiled, “They’re good people.” He agreed, “Why do you sound so surprised though?”   


Akaashi fiddled with his fingers. “My parent’s just aren’t affectionate.” He said, “Even before I came out to them we didn’t hug, and I don’t think that I’ve ever seen them kiss each other.” He said, “Your parents just let their affection be known and I’m not used to it. But I liked it.”   


Bokuto pursed his lips and nodded, “I’m sorry, I can’t imagine growing up like that.” He said.   


Akaashi shrugged and looked up at Bokuto, “Maybe that made it a little easier when they told me they didn’t want to see me again unless I was with a woman.”   


“I don’t think anything makes that easier Akaashi.”   


Akaashi hummed, “You’re probably right.” He took a deep breath and smiled, “Let’s go to bed, I really am exhausted.”   


Bokuto grinned and nodded.   


  


Miriko smiled as she cracked the door open just enough to peek in at her guests, “That’s a little weird dear.” She heard her husband say. She looked at the two figures sleeping soundly on the bed. She saw the way Akaashi wrapped his arms around her son and smiled. She leaned against the doorframe, “I’m just glad to have him home, even if it’s just for a few days.” She said. She took a deep breath and nodded, turning around to look at her husband and smiled.   


He smiled, “I know, but if we’re being honest here, you’re very lucky that they were actually sleeping. When we were their age we wouldn’t have been.” He pointed out, closing the door as his wife stepped out of the doorway.   


She laughed lightly and grinned, “I guess you’re right. I guess he really is all grown up huh?” She mused.   


  


Despite being away from home, their morning routine somehow stayed the same. Bokuto woke up way too early and got ready for his run. He had to admit, it was kind of great being home again. He could run his old paths and see the places where he used to stop and rest.   


When he came back he woke Akaashi up. Akaashi groaned and rolled over, pulling the blankets over his head. Bokuto laughed and pulled them back down so he could kiss Akaashi, “Good morning Akaashi.” He said.   


Akaashi blinked at him a few times before sitting up and rubbing his eyes. He reached for his glasses and looked at Bokuto. “You’re still in your running gear.” He said, looking at the black tights clinging to his legs beneath the white running shorts.   


“Yeah, well I didn’t think I showed you where the coffee was last night and I didn’t want you to wake up while I was in the shower and not feel comfortable leaving the room.” Akaashi smiled at the consideration before dragging himself out of the bed. He grabbed the sweater Bokuto had discarded last night and pulled it on before following Bokuto out into the kitchen. The house was still silent, Bokuto’s parents probably still sleeping. He thanked Bokuto, who stood there for a second. “Or, y’know, you could join me in the shower.”   


“In your parent’s house?” He asked, eyebrow raised.   


Bokuto shrugged, “I just want to shower.” He said smirking lazily, “We can wait till we go home to do dirty things.” Akaashi snorted at the phrasing and was about to refuse, “They don’t usually wake up until later in the morning when they don’t have work.”   


Akaashi looked at the time and then at Bokuto, “Yeah okay.”   


  


Akaashi ended up mortified anyway because they stepped out of the bathroom together just as Miriko was about to knock on the door. “Ah, good morning boys.”   


Akaashi wanted to die, Bokuto laughed from behind him, “Morning Mom.” He said, pushing Akaashi forward and out of the way so his mom could use the toilet.   


“I guess you can’t account for needing to pee.” He laughed. Akaashi didn’t look impressed. “Come on babe, we’re adults, they aren’t going to care.” Akaashi took a deep breath and nodded.   


“I guess so.” He said, “I don’t know, I just want them to like me.”   


“Well no need to worry there since my mom already likes you and my dad trusts my mom’s taste in people. So he likes you too!” Bokuto explained as they returned to the kitchen for coffee. “Besides, I think they would be pretty surprised if you told them that we haven’t had sex yet.” He explained.   


“You’re right, I would be surprised.” Miriko said from behind them. Akaashi nearly jumped out of his skin as she spoke from right behind them.   


Bokuto looked at his mom and blushed a little, “Ah, I thought you would go back to sleep.” He said sheepish and embarrassed.   


“Well since the two of you were awake I figured that I would start breakfast.” She said, moving towards the fridge to grab what she needed. Just when they thought she would just drop the subject of conversation she walked in on, she continued. “For the record though, you should do things at your own pace.” She looked at them and smiled an easy, kind, smile. “Don’t let others pressure you into having sex before you’re ready.”   


With the way Bokuto blushed, Akaashi wondered if that was a pointed statement that had to do with Bokuto’s past. He had a feeling that Bokuto, as embarrassing as he might have found it, probably confided in his mom about it. Akaashi smiled, “We’re happy to take things at our own pace.” He said.   


She smiled in return and turned back towards the stove, “Good. I’m glad.” After a few moments of silence she turned back towards them. “There is a festival tonight, did you guys want to go to it?” She asked.   


Bokuto grinned, “Yeah!” He said excitedly. “Have you been to the Christmas festival before Akaashi?” He asked, turning towards him with bright eyes.   


Akaashi smiled, “No I haven’t.”   


Miriko grinned, “That’s settled then. We won’t leave for that until later, so you two can do your own thing until then. Oh, your father does need to go back to work for a little while this afternoon too.”   


As if summoned, Bokuto’s father stepped into the kitchen, yawning. “Morning.” He said. He stepped over to his wife and kissed her cheek before making his way over to get himself some coffee.   


“Good morning Bokuto-san.” Akaashi greeted.   


“Please, I told you to call me Kaito.” He said laughing. He took his cup and joined the two at the table. “I hope you slept well, I know that Koutarou’s old bed is pretty small.”   


Akaashi nodded, “It was fine. It’s about the same size as the one in his apartment.”   


Bokuto laughed, “Yeah, but Akaashi’s bed is huge!” He grinned, “And so comfortable.”   


  


That afternoon, after Kaito came back home, they all got ready to go to the festival. Bokuto grinned as he opened his door to see Akaashi tying the final piece of his kimono in place. “Ahh, you look so good in that.” Bokuto mused. He leaned in, dragging Akaashi into a kiss. “Are you going to be warm enough?”   


Akaashi laughed into the kiss, letting his hands fall to Bokuto’s waist. “You look pretty good in that, but I don’t think you’ll be going out in it.” He said, gesturing to the towel around Bokuto’s hips fresh out of the shower due to an unfortunate incident involving syrup and pancakes. “Also, yes, once I finish getting dressed I’ll be plenty warm.”   


Bokuto grinned, “Alright.” He said, Bokuto stepped over to his bag to grab out his own set of traditional clothing. He pulled up a pair of running tights before letting Akaashi help him into the rest of the outfit, even though he argued he didn’t need the help. And well, if Akaashi got a little handsy while he helped, Bokuto wasn’t going to complain.   


Akaashi couldn’t quite explain why he was so happy, by all means going on a date with Bokuto’s parents in tow probably should have been much more embarrassing, but… it just made Akaashi happy. He walked through the festival, hand-in-hand with Bokuto while Bokuto’s parents walked hand-in-hand in front of them. “Ah, Koutarou, that stall sells yakitori, did you want some?” He asked, pointing at an upcoming stall.   


Boktuo grinned, “Yeah!” There was a brief squabble about who was going to pay, but soon enough they were catching up with Miriko and Kaito.   


Together the four of them roamed the festival, eating food and playing games as they went along. Bokuto even managed to snag up some goldfish, “We can put them with the other goldfish I’ve caught!” He said grinning wide.   


Akaashi laughed, “You have more?”   


“Yeah, you didn’t see them ‘cause we keep the fish tank in my parents room so mom doesn’t forget to feed them.” He said. “We lost many goldfish when I was a kid because I wasn’t tall enough or because my mom and I both forgot to feed them.”   


Akaashi shook his head and smiled. “Poor goldfish.” They didn’t spend too much time mourning the loss of the many goldfish unfortunate enough to be caught by the whirlwind that goes by the name of Koutarou, and soon enough they were making their way to the wide open expanse of snow covered beach to watch the fireworks.   


“Thanks for coming home with me.” Bokuto said smiling. “It means a lot. Usually it’s just me and my parents when I get the chance to come home, and even though I love that too, I’m glad that I could share the holidays with you.” He said.   


Akaashi hummed his agreement and nodded, “Thank you for inviting me. I don’t usually go anywhere for the holidays, so this is a nice change of pace. I think for the holidays last year I just went drinking with a couple of the people who used to be on my volleyball team.” He laughed. “It has been a very long time since I spent Christmas with someone special to me.”   


Bokuto glanced at Akaashi, marveling at the way the flashing lights from the fireworks danced across his features. He leaned over and rested his head against Akaashi’s head. “Do you think you’ll tell me about him sometime?”   


Akaashi raised a brow and glanced up at Bokuto, but due to their position, he couldn’t make out anything on his expression. “There isn’t much to tell.” Akaashi said, “I don’t think any of my past relationships were important or long enough to bother talking about. I had bad taste in guys in University.” Akaashi explained, wrapping his arm around Bokuto’s waist, tucking his fingers into the obi. “But, I guess I had it pretty bad for my roommate.” He said honestly. “I’ve told you about him before I think, but he rejected me because he was dating someone who lived back in his home town. I took it hard at the time, but I eventually got over it.”   


Bokuto listened intently as Akaashi talked, “I’ve had my fair share of crushes.” Bokuto laughed, “I’m sure Kuroo’s told you.” He said. When Akaashi informed him that, yes, Kuroo had told him all about Bokuto’s many short lived crushes. “That’s probably why it took me so long to ask you out. Usually my crushes dissipate after just a few weeks.” He snorted. “I might have commitment issues.”   


Akaashi chuckled, “Well, I for one, am very glad that you decided that I was worth the commitment."   


“Only because you’re the best!” Bokuto exclaimed, hugging Akaashi to himself tighter until they lost their balance and ended up soaking wet from falling over in the snow.   


Akaashi laughed loudly as Bokuto grinned above him and Bokuto’s parents came rushing over to see if they were alright. Akaashi smiled, “I’m better than I have been in a long time.” He said sincerely, he couldn’t explain the sheer amount of joy that simply being with someone like Bokuto provided. He was sure that he had never felt this way before. Even soaking wet with snow going down the back of his kimono. He reached up and pulled Bokuto in for a kiss, surprising everyone there. Luckily, Bokuto’s parents just laughed and looked back towards the fireworks.   


Bokuto pulled back after a moment and laughed with Akaashi, then helped him stand up. “You’re soaked.” He said, pointing out the obvious. “We should head home.”   


Bokuto’s mom smile warmly at the two of them. “We’re going to stay out and enjoy the festival a bit longer.” She said. “But you two go home and get cleaned up. We will try to be quiet when we come back.”   


Bokuto leaned in and kissed his mother’s cheek. “Okay. Don’t stay out too late.” He said with a cheeky grin, causing everyone to chuckle.   


  


By the time they got back, Akaashi felt like his toes were going to fall off. Bokuto had been kind enough to carry Akaashi’s haori and to give him his own, which went a long way towards keeping Akaashi from freezing, but there was nothing to be done about the rest of his outfit. “Go get a shower, I’ll start the laundry.” Bokuto said, following Akaashi up the stairs to the bathroom. He took the soaking wet clothes off his boyfriend, then he changed into just sports shorts and a tank so he could throw his own damp clothes in the wash too.   


“How’re you feeling?” Bokuto said as he stepped back into the bathroom about twenty minutes later.   


Akaashi looked up from where he was sitting in the bathtub and smiled. “Warm.” He said simply. Bokuto chuckled and handed Akaashi a mug of hot cocoa and pulled up a stool to sit next to him. Bokuto didn’t know how long they sat together, enjoying the cocoa and company, sharing a soft-spoken conversation, Akaashi telling Bokuto anything he wanted to know about his old roommate, but eventually Bokuto heard his phone going off. He groaned as he stood to retrieve it.   


_Hello?  
_

_Hey Sweetie!  
_

_Mom? What’s up?  
_

_We just wanted to let you two know that we’re on our way back. Just in case.  
_

_In case?  
_

_In case you were busy. Come on. We had this conversation this morning. _  
__

__Bokuto felt his face heat up as he remembered his mom and him very briefly talking about how he and Akaashi still hadn’t had sex.  
_ _

___Mom, no we’re not doing that. Akaashi just took a bath. We’re probably gonna go to bed.  
__ _

___Okay, well, be safe. We’re about forty minutes away. _  
__ _ _

___Bokuto sighed and said his goodbye. He jumped when he felt strong arms wrap about his midsection. “Who was it?” Akaashi asked.  
_ _ _

___“Just my mom. She wanted to let me know that they were on their way home. Just in case we were having sex.” Akaashi snorted at that, and before he could stop it, it became a full-blown laugh. He had to take a step back and balance himself against the wall because he was bent over laughing. While Bokuto had been mostly mortified, he couldn’t stop himself from laughing, what could he say? Akaashi’s laughter was contagious.  
_ _ _

___Once they had calmed down, Akaashi also dressed in running shorts and a t-shirt, though he was only 40 percent sure that it was his shirt, and they moved to the living room, bringing along their gifts to each other. Bokuto put on a movie and they relaxed back into the couch together, Bokuto more than happy to curl up against Akaashi’s side, and Akaashi more than happy to see Bokuto start to care less about their relative sizes. “Merry Christmas.” Bokuto murmured, leaning up to kiss his boyfriend.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi smiled into the kiss, sliding his hands up to cup Bokuto’s face, “Merry Christmas.” He said back, handing Bokuto a small wrapped package.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi watched as Bokuto ripped the wrapping paper off the small box in his hands. “Whoa!” Bokuto pulled the watch out of the small box and looked at it. It wasn’t anything flashy, but it didn’t need to be, Bokuto could tell it was high quality. “I’ve never owned a watch before.” He said truthfully, he had always assumed that having something on his wrist during volleyball would be a hindrance.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi chuckled, “I wasn’t sure you were going to like it. It’s water proof though, it’s actually a sports watch so you can wear it during practice or while you run and it won’t get damaged by your sweat or if it got hit with the volleyball.” He explained, “They only carried a few colors so I went for the plain black.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto turned the watch over in his hands with a soft smile on his face, “I love it Akaashi. I’m gonna wear it all the time!” He exclaimed, “Now open yours, although I don’t think it’s as good as this.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi doubted that Bokuto would buy him something he didn’t like. He looked down at the fair sized box, “It’s kind of big.” He said, pulling off the wrapping paper slowly. He laughed when he finally saw what was in the box. “How did you even know my size?” He asked, smiling at his boyfriend.  
_ _ _

___“I checked the shoes you had at home.” He laughed, “I noticed the running shoes you were wearing last time were really worn down. If these aren’t comfortable we can totally exchange them though. They’re the same ones I wear.” He said.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi rolled his eyes at him, but he grinned and leaned over for a kiss. “I love them. When you go for your run tomorrow I’ll go with you and try them out.”  
_ _ _

___“Alright.” He set the watch to the side with the sneakers and they settled in to watch the movie.  
_ _ _

___  
_ _ _

___Akaashi heard the hushed whispers of Bokuto’s parents when they came home, but he was far more asleep than awake. He still had his arm around Bokuto’s shoulders and his face pressed to the top of Bokuto’s head, but there was no way he would be able to will himself to move. He had resigned himself to sleeping on the couch the second he heard Bokuto start to snore. He didn’t pay too much attention to what Bokuto’s parents were saying until they came into the living room. The couple seemed surprised to see Akaashi and Bokuto curled up there, their second cups of hot cocoa left forgotten on the coffee table. He heard Miriko say something about the watch, and he felt someone drape a blanket over their bodies, but by the time the talking fading, he was already asleep.  
_ _ _

___  
_ _ _

___A few days later had Bokuto and Akaashi returning home, they split off at the train station. When Akaashi stepped into his apartment alone, he took a deep breath. He had spent so little time in his apartment alone in the last few months, that it felt weird to be alone then. He set his bag down and got to work unpacking and cleaning up.  
_ _ _

___  
_ _ _

___Bokuto grinned as he pushed his door open, “I’m home!” He shouted, he heard something fall and peered over the couch to see his best friend sprawled across the living room floor. “Sorry. Where’s Kenma?” He laughed. Kuroo glared up at him from where he had been startled off the couch.  
_ _ _

___“Welcome home.” He said. “Kenma’s out.” He informed Bokuto as he straightened himself out. “I guess him and Hinata are doing… something. I don’t remember.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto flopped down on the other end of the couch and held out his wrist, “Look what Akaashi got me for Christmas!” He said, showing Kuroo the watch.  
_ _ _

___Kuroo raised a brow and looked closely at the watch, “No sex but he will buy you a 65000 yen watch.” He laughed, “I’d say you scored yourself a sugar daddy, but usually that involves sex.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto pouted and pulled his hand back. “We’ve had sex!” He said defensively. “Just not penetrative sex.” He mumbled. “Is this watch really worth that much?” He mused, looking at his wrist.  
_ _ _

___Kuroo laughed and kicked Bokuto’s shin. “I feel like you’re arguing the wrong point. Anyway, did he like the shoes?”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto grinned and nodded, “Fine, he isn’t my sugar daddy. And yeah he liked them.” He nudged Kuroo back. “But really is the watch that expensive?” Suddenly Bokuto was feeling like he had gotten Akaashi a cheap gift, even though the cost of the shoes had been nothing to sneeze at, they certainly weren’t in the ballpark of 65000 yen.  
_ _ _

___Kuroo shrugged, “Well I didn’t buy it so I don’t know for sure, but it looks expensive.” Kuroo pulled out his phone and searched on the web until he found the watch. “Maybe he got it on a discount?” He offered, trying to stop the storm before it started.  
_ _ _

___“Dude, he shouldn’t be spending that much money on me.” Bokuto fretted, “I feel bad. I mean I love him, but we haven’t been together long enough for that kind of money to be thrown around.” He complained, obviously distraught. “And he’s been spending so much money to go to my games. I should… I should call him.” He was just about to type Akaashi’s number in when Kuroo took his phone.  
_ _ _

___“No.” Bokuto looked at Kuroo with wide worried eyes. “Akaashi’s an adult. If he wants to spend that much money on a watch, then he can.” He explained. “He is a responsible person. Clearly, you were more important to him than the money. He wanted to get you a gift you would like, and he wanted to make sure it was nice.” He said. “Just, wear it.” Bokuto frowned at the watch, he really did like it, but he still felt guilty about the cost. Maybe he should get Akaashi another gift. “Hey. Pay attention asshole.” Bokuto looked back up at Kuroo’s face. “Wear it, show that you love it. I’m sure that is all Akaashi wants in exchange for such a nice gift.” Bokuto sighed and nodded.  
_ _ _

___“It would probably make him feel bad if I told him I knew how much it cost, huh?” He asked, thinking about how upset Bokuto would be if Akaashi had searched for the monetary value of something that he had given Akaashi.  
_ _ _

___“Yeah, probably. I mean, it isn’t really about the monetary value, it’s about how much it means to you.” Bokuto nodded at Kuroo’s words, deciding that letting Akaashi know how much it cost was not the proper course of action, but also deciding that unless necessary, the watch was not leaving his wrist.  
_ _ _

___“Hey we’re still going to the shrine together for New Year’s right?” He asked. They went together every year. Sometimes Kenma came with them, but if his anxiety was too bad he would opt out.  
_ _ _

___“As long as you want to go.” He said, “Are you going to invite Akaashi?” Bokuto nodded and they relaxed back into the couch, happy to be able to spend at least a little time together before one of them was running off to do something.  
_ _ _


	9. Chapter 9

The next couple weeks flew by between spending time together at the sanctuary, and Akaashi spending time with Bokuto’s team, and the shrine visit with Bokuto, Kuroo, and Kenma. They managed to throw together an impromptu party at a local bar a few days after New Year’s, letting Bokuto meet Akaashi’s friends. It was a rather embarrassing night for Akaashi as the guys teased Akaashi for some of the stupid things he did while he was in university.  


Bokuto laughed along, immediately hitting it off with them, when the bar finally closed and they were forced out into the cold air of the night, they promised to make more time to see each other. It had been too long since they had all spent time together but Akaashi was glad to know that the friendship didn’t seem any weaker than it had been the last time they had all been together.   


They stumbled into Bokuto’s darkened apartment, mostly because it was much closer than Akaashi’s to where they had all met up. They thought they were being quiet, but when Kuroo cracked open his door to scold them, they realized that they should probably just go to Akaashi’s apartment. They apologized to Kuroo before making their way slowly and steadily to the other apartment.   


By the time they were walking up the stairs to Akaashi’s apartment, they were both feeling more sober. “I had fun tonight Akaashi.” Bokuto said with a large grin, watching Akaashi struggle with the lock. When he door finally swung open Akaashi grinned at Bokuto.  


“So did I Koutarou.” He said. Akaashi’s eyes went wide as he was suddenly dragged into the apartment and pinned against the closed door.   


Bokuto stared down at him with an intensity Akaashi recognized.   


He grinned lazily and let his hands fall to Bokuto’s hips. “Koutarou,” He mumbled, watching Boktuo fidget, “We should take our shoes off.”   


Bokuto looked between them to their feet and nodded, before Akaashi could move to take his own shoes off though, Bokuto had already dropped to his knees to pull Akaashi’s shoes off his feet. Once he got Akaashi out of his shoes he moved to place a kiss on Akaashi’s hipbone.  


Akaashi dropped his hand to Bokuto’s hair and tugged lightly, causing Bokuto to moan softly. “Your shoes too, then we can go to the bedroom.” Akaashi wasn’t sure how far they would get, he was exhausted and drunk, but he couldn’t say that he wasn’t interested in what Bokuto was offering.  


It didn’t take them very long to get to the bedroom and divest themselves of clothing. They dropped down onto the bed, naked and horny. Akaashi leaned back and dragged Bokuto on top of him, feeling Bokuto’s strong thighs pressing down on his legs as he sat in his lap. “Keiji.” Bokuto mumbled, kissing his neck and running his hands idly down Akaashi’s chest.  


Akaashi squirmed, his own arms winding themselves around Bokuto’s core to ground himself. Up until now, Akaashi had mostly been leading the way in their sex lives. He was constantly paying attention to Bokuto’s moods, which made it easy to notice if he was horny. Every step of the way so far though, Akaashi felt like he was the one showing Bokuto how and what to do, Bokuto wanted him to be the dominant party and Akaashi had been more than happy to take up that position.   


But he would be lying if he didn’t like this too, being swept away by the pleasure Bokuto provided of his own volition. Without Akaashi suggesting they go further or do something different. Akaashi liked the feeling of being pinned under Bokuto’s intense gaze, he briefly wondered if maybe Bokuto and he were too similar in what they wanted in the bedroom to make this work in the long run, but he quickly squished down his own thoughts of inadequacy. Akaashi liked their relationship and there was no point in doubting it now just because he was getting riled up from Bokuto taking the lead.   


Akaashi jerked, broken out of his reverie by Bokuto biting down on his hipbone. Akaashi looked down at Bokuto. “Keiji,” Bokuto moaned softly as he nuzzled the junction of Akaashi’s hips. “You still with me?”  


Akaashi smiled softly and scratched the back of Bokuto’s head. “Yeah,” He mumbled, watching as Bokuto’s face split in a grin, the skin around his eyes crinkling with the width of it. “Come up here.”  


Bokuto obeyed, crawling his way back up so he was leaning over Akaashi’s face. He searched Akaashi’s face for something, before Akaashi could ask, Bokuto was kissing him. When they broke apart, Bokuto flopped down next to him. “I wanna have sex.” He stated.  


“We’re drunk.” Akaashi pointed out, “I don’t think I have the coordination to make sure I don’t hurt you.” He said honestly. “And I’m exhausted.”  


Bokuto snorted a laugh and smiled, “Yeah I can tell. Tomorrow then?” He asked.  


Akaashi smiled back, “Yes.” He leaned forward and kissed Bokuto’s temple, “Good night Koutarou.” He mumbled. He heard Bokuto return the good night just before he fell off the precipice of sleep.   


  


The next morning, Bokuto woke up to a dark room. He blinked a few times and looked towards the windows to confirm that it was still before sunrise. He thought about going back to sleep, he almost wanted too just because he knew he would disturb Akaashi when he got up, but he woke up wide awake, so he knew there was zero hope of him actually sleeping. He tried to be gentle when extracting himself from the bed, but since he had been sleeping on his stomach and Akaashi had been unceremoniously flung across his back, he had definitely woke Akaashi up. “Bokuto?”   


Bokuto leaned forward and kissed Akaashi’s temple. “Go back to sleep.” He mumbled, “I’m just going for a run and to my apartment for some clean clothes.” He said. He felt Akaashi nod and roll off of him. Bokuto let out a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding and finished getting up. He threw back on his clothes from the day before and slipped out the door quietly.  


He made his way back to his apartment before the sun was up and changed into his running gear. He also packed a small bag in the event that Akaashi wasn’t too drunk to remember their conversation the night before. Bokuto left for his run and smiled to himself at how quite the morning was, it felt like the whole world was slow to come to that day. When the sun finally started to come up Bokuto was already flush with his workout, but he enjoyed the feeling of the sun warming the cold January morning.   


When he got back to his apartment, Kuroo was up and moving. Bokuto kicked his shoes off and grinned sheepishly at Kuroo, “Sorry about last night.” He said.  


Kuroo snorted and flicked an eggshell at him. “Asshole.” He said, but it was light hearted. “Don’t worry you didn’t wake us up. Kenma stayed asleep and I was still awake.” He said. Bokuto let himself breathe a breath of relieve. “Food?”  


Bokuto nodded, “If it’s not too much trouble can you make one for Akaashi too? I’m going back over there.” He said. He saw Kuroo nod before he made his way to his room, stripping out of his running gear and making his way to the shower with the little bag he had packed earlier in tow.  


  


Bokuto stepped into Akaashi’s apartment and he could hear the water running. He placed the omelet Kuroo had made into the fridge and went to Akaashi’s room picking up the discarded clothing from the night before on his way. He fixed the blankets on the bed before grabbing his book off the nightstand and making his way out to the living room to wait for him.   


Bokuto looked over when the couch dipped slightly with the weight of another person, “Good morning sleeping beauty!” Bokuto grinned. Akaashi smiled and returned the sentiment. Bokuto had to admit that Akaashi looked especially cute sitting there with a towel tossed over his head to stop his hair from dripping. “Come here.” He said, setting his book aside and making room between his legs for Akaashi, “I’ll dry your hair.”  


Akaashi chuckled, but followed instructions, settling down between Bokuto’s thighs and letting Bokuto gently rub the water from his head.  


“There is some breakfast in the fridge for you. How’re you feeling?” He asked.  


“I feel like I probably drank too much last night.” He responded.  


“You were having fun though. I think we all drank too much.”  


Akaashi laughed, “That’s true. I took some headache medication before my shower. I’m feeling much better now. How was your run?” He asked.  


“It was great. It’s probably because of the snow, but I felt like the only person in Tokyo.” He said, “There was almost no traffic and it was still dark. I got to watch the sun come up while I was running. Mornings like that are my favorite.”   


Akaashi hummed, “I wish I had been there.” He said. “Sounds beautiful.”  


Bokuto dropped the towel around Akaashi’s shoulders and smiled. “All dry! Go eat.”  


Akaashi laughed, but he stood and went to go heat up the food. They were both more than happy to spend the morning lazing around Akaashi’s apartment, reveling in the odd quietness outside. Akaashi found himself wondering if Bokuto had been right about the snow slowing down the city. He slid open the door to the balcony and stepped outside, looking over the city. “Pretty right?” Bokuto said, startling Akaashi slightly. He looked over his shoulder at his boyfriend and nodded. Bokuto dropped a blanket around Akaashi’s shoulders, wrapped his arms around him. “I love winter.”  


Akaashi turned in Bokuto’s hold and reached up to cup Bokuto’s face, bringing him down for a sweet kiss. “Me too. Though I have to admit that I never would have thought that you would like it.”  


Bokuto cocked his head, “Why?”  


“Winter is… It’s quiet, burying the world in a blanket of silence.” He started, turning back around and drawing Bokuto’s arms around him again. He fiddled with Bokuto’s fingers as he spoke. “Snow brings serene silence, it gets darker early and bright later. It’s beautiful sure, but it also puts the world on hold.”  


Bokuto hummed and nodded, “Well yeah, but it is also holidays and families and a time for healing right?”  


Akaashi furrowed his brow as he thought about it. “Healing?”   


“Maybe healing isn’t the right word.” He said, “But it’s like, without winter there is no Spring, no Summer, and no Autumn.” He said, “Winter helps the soil and stuff right? Kuroo explained it to me once. He said it insulated the ground and that snow would help with vegetation in the Spring time.”  


Akaashi thought about it for a few seconds and nodded, “That’s an interesting way to look at it.” They looked over the city for a few moments longer before Akaashi turned to look at Bokuto, “Let’s go back inside.”   


Bokuto grinned and nodded, opening the door and they stepped back inside. Bokuto made his way to the kitchen to make some tea while Akaashi settled himself back down on the couch. He reached over and picked up the book Bokuto had been reading, flipping it over to look at the back and see what it was about. He smiled to himself and looked into the kitchen where Bokuto was humming to himself and fixing the tea. He was hit squarely with a pang of wanting. “Koutarou?” He called, watching with a soft smirk as Bokuto fumbled what he was holding and turned to look at him.  


“Yeah?” He asked.  


“Move in with me, when Kuroo and Kenma move out.” He watched Bokuto carefully from where he was sitting, it probably would have been amusing if Akaashi hadn’t be terrified that Bokuto might say no.   


Bokuto blinked a couple times and stared hard at the counter, blushing furiously and trying to figure out if he had heard Akaashi right. He dared glance over at him, but dropped his gaze again instantly. He tried to get his mind to focus, tried to force words out of his mouth.   


After a few moments of tense silence Akaashi stood up, “It’s okay if you don’t want to Bokuto.” He said, unknowingly putting the distance back in his name.   


Bokuto caught a glance at the watch still sitting snuggly on his wrist, where it had stayed for the entire time he had owned it. He took in an unsteady breath and stood straight again, meeting Akaashi’s eyes. “Are you sure you want me here?” He asked. Because he didn’t want this to be just a momentary lapse in judgement from his boyfriend, he wanted to be sure that Akaashi wanted him.   


Akaashi nodded just once, his face serious.  


Bokuto let out the breath he had been holding and let his face split into an easy grin. “There’s nothing I want more then.” He said.  


Akaashi’s eyes widened, then he was also grinning. It was only a few steps before he was wrapping his arms around Bokuto’s solid frame and kissing him deeply. In his surprise, Bokuto took a step backwards, bumping into the counter. Neither of them really noticed though. Akaashi pushed himself further into Bokuto’s space, and Bokuto was more than willing to accommodate him.   


Neither of them were sure how long they stood in the kitchen kissing, but by the time they were finally able to pull themselves away from each other the tea Bokuto had been in the middle of making was already lukewarm.   


When Akaashi pulled back enough to look at Bokuto, Bokuto grinned, “Do you remember what you promised me last night?” He asked softly. Akaashi blinked at him and tried to think back to the previous night, when he blushed slightly, Bokuto got his answer. “I got all ready this morning after my run.” He said.  


Akaashi licked his lips, “Yeah?” He asked, brushing his fingers through Bokuto’s hair. “I wouldn’t be opposed to keeping my promise. But you have a game tomorrow.”   


Bokuto huffed a laugh. “You better not be opposed to it, I can handle it. I wanna feel you in me, and I know you aren’t going to hurt me.” He said, “I brought stuff with me just in case you didn’t have it.”  


Akaashi hummed and turned away to start the tea over. “I definitely have lube and condoms, though the condoms might be expired by now, was there something else?”  


Bokuto shrugged, “I brought gloves just in case. I don’t know how comfortable you are with sticking your fingers up there.” He laughed, “Plus it can make clean up easier.”  


Akaashi nodded, “Uh, this may seem like an odd question, but how clean did you get yourself.”   


Bokuto watched Akaashi, he seemed nervous about asking that. “Hmm, very clean.” He said. He stepped over to his bag pulling out a bulbous tool. When Akaashi saw it his eyes widened, but Bokuto was confident that he saw a smirk before he turned back to the tea.  


“Very clean indeed.” Akaashi laughed, “There is just something I want to try. I- you might not want to, and I understand, but if you weren’t as clean as possible I didn’t want to.”  


Bokuto put the enema tool away and wrapped his arms around Akaashi. “What is it?”  


“Rimming?” Akaashi said, obviously embarrassed about saying it.  


Bokuto thought about it for a moment, “I don’t mind trying it.” He said. “Obviously I can’t promise I will like it, but I’m down to try it. Always sounded fun at least.” He said. “Have you ever done it before?”  


Akaashi shook his head, “No. I also don’t think I’ve ever dated someone who takes such good care of their body.” He turned around in Bokuto’s hold and handed him one of the cups of tea. “Or someone I trusted so much.” Akaashi was embarrassed to ask to try it, but he didn’t feel any shame. He knew Bokuto wouldn’t judge him for it, and he knew that the feeling was mutual.   


Bokuto nodded. “Okay.” He said. He leaned forward to kiss Akaashi again and they returned to the living room. “After the tea then.”   


Akaashi laughed and nodded, “sure.”   


  


  


At this point in their relationship, both parties knew exactly what they needed to do to work the other up, and it didn’t take very long. Akaashi groaned, his hand tightly knotted in Bokuto’s hair as his lover sucked bruises into his thighs. “When I move in you should start running with me.” He mumbled, biting down slightly on the supple flesh.  


Akaashi let out a soft moan as he looked down at Bokuto. It was such an erotic sight having Bokuto in nothing but his underwear, hard and leaking, kneeling between Akaashi’s legs. Bokuto was so much thicker than Akaashi, so much stronger. Idly Akaashi wondered if that was the allure of power play, but he was quickly pulled from his thoughts. “Maybe. You run too early.” He said. When Bokuto finally worked Akaashi’s underwear off, he wasted no time in taking him into his mouth.   


Bokuto loved giving head. It wasn’t something he had thought he would like, but as he knelt there sucking more and more of his boyfriend into his mouth, he knew that it was one of the best feelings. Getting the usually composed Akaashi to look like _that _was the best. Bokuto totally got off on it.  
__

__Akaashi felt hot all over, he knew he was flushed and panting even though they really hadn’t done much more than kissing and heavy petting until the moment Bokuto sucked him in. Maybe it was just because they both knew that they weren’t going to stop at a hand job or a blow job. Akaashi moved his foot, pressing down against the growing bulge in Bokuto’s underwear.  
_ _

__Bokuto groaned around Akaashi as he felt the pressure on his dick. The pressure wasn’t hard, Akaashi was probably a little nervous that he would hurt him from that angle. He pulled his mouth off Akaashi’s length and moved to kiss Akaashi’s thighs again, stroking Akaashi while his mouth was otherwise busy.  
_ _

__“Koutarou.” Akaashi warned, he was a little embarrassed to be so close already, but that was okay, he knew Bokuto was worked up too.  
_ _

__“Keiji, do you think you could come twice?”  
_ _

__Akaashi furrowed his brow and looked down at Bokuto, his wide-eyes looking back up at him with a mixture of complete adoration and reckless abandonment. Akaashi thought about it for a moment before swallowing thickly. He nodded once.  
_ _

__Bokuto grinned at him, and as soon as he got his smile under control, he was sucking Akaashi back into his mouth, working even harder to bring Akaashi over the edge. Akaashi whined, his hips bucking forward without his permission more the closer he got. He twisted his hand in Bokuto’s hair, tugging as he neared the edge, “Koutarou, ‘m close.”  
_ _

__Bokuto hummed around him, his hands moving to hold Akaashi’s hips still, letting his thumbs dig into the soft spot between his hip bone and his groin.  
_ _

__With a wet gasp, Akaashi jerked, coming into Bokuto’s waiting mouth. He doubled over Bokuto’s head, his toes curling. He moaned loudly before his muscles relaxed and he slumped backward somewhat on the bed, catching himself with his arms. He leaned backwards and made eye contact with Bokuto, who still looked hungry.  
_ _

__Bokuto watched with rapt fascination as Akaashi found his release and eventually relaxed back on his bed. “You’re amazing Keiji.” He mumbled, pressing one more kiss to his thigh before standing and towering over him, “So pretty.” He cupped Akaashi’s face in his hand and dragged him forward for a kiss.  
_ _

__Akaashi made some sort of noncommittal noise in the back of his throat as Bokuto kissed him again and again. He could taste himself on Bokuto’s tongue, something that he felt should not, but definitely did, turn him on. “You too.” He breathed once Bokuto let him go. “I think it’s my turn to enjoy a meal.” He said with a soft smirk.  
_ _

__Bokuto grinned and snorted a little laugh, “Itadakimasu.”  
_ _

__Akaashi grinned and laughed with him. He shifted slightly and patted the bed, “Lay down.” He reached over to grab the lube and condoms out of Bokuto’s bag, setting them down on the bed.  
_ _

__Bokuto licked his lips as he did as he was told, at first he flopped down on his back, but Akaashi tapped his knees with a raised brow. Bokuto swallowed and turned over. He propped himself up on his knees and elbows. “Better?” He asked, watching as Akaashi disappeared behind him.  
_ _

__“I think I like it either way, but logistically, this will work better for rimming.”  
_ _

__Bokuto nodded and took a deep breath to calm himself down.  
_ _

__Akaashi ran his hands down Bokuto’s back and dragged his underwear down and away. He ran his hands up the back of Bokuto’s legs and over the swell of his ass. “You have such a nice ass.” Akaashi laughed, grabbing two handfuls of it. “There is so much of it.”  
_ _

__Bokuto whined and buried his face in his arms. “You better not be calling me fat.”  
_ _

__“Definitely not, this is like 90% muscle.” Akaashi let go of Bokuto’s butt and ran his hands up his back, folding himself over him to kiss at Bokuto’s neck. He sucked a dark mark on the back of Bokuto’s neck, easily hidden by his volleyball jersey. He worked slowly and methodically down Bokuto’s back. He knew Bokuto’s weak spots and he was not above exploiting them.  
_ _

__By the time his mouth had made its way to Bokuto’s lower back and hips, Bokuto was a panting mess. He arched his back slightly, urging Akaashi in the right direction. He let out a frustrated groan when Akaashi still avoided where he wanted it most. “Keiji, quit teasing me.” He mumbled.  
_ _

__Akaashi grinned and laughed, “Alright.” He said softly. He rubbed his palms over Bokuto’s ass and spread him slightly. He felt Bokuto shift under him, spreading his legs wider and lifting his hips.  
_ _

__Akaashi sucked in a breath at the sight. He spread Bokuto more, and leaned in to press his lips in a gentle kiss against Bokuto’s hole. Bokuto jerks slightly away from his touch and he sat up again, “You okay?”  
_ _

__Bokuto looked over his shoulder at him, “Just impatient.” He mumbled. His blush was spread across his face and his hair was mussed, probably from Akaashi earlier, but maybe a little bit from pressing his face into the mattress. “Keep going.”  
_ _

__Akaashi nodded and leaned back down. He licked the stripe from Bokuto’s balls to the base of his spine before going back to lick specifically at Bokuto’s hole.  
_ _

__Bokuto, for his part, tried to focus. The feeling of Akaashi’s tongue on him was so much different than anything he had ever felt before. It was different than his own fingers and definitely different than his silicon toys. He pushed back against Akaashi with a moan, feeling his tongue prodding for entrance. He whined when Akaashi pulled back slightly, was about to scold him even, but then he felt a lube-slicked finger enter him. When had Akaashi even opened the lube?  
_ _

__Bokuto had enough time to think about how unfortunate it was that Akaashi’s mouth was just pressing kisses and soft bites to his cheeks, but how could he be upset about that when Akaashi was knuckle deep in him? Besides, Bokuto soon found out that Akaashi was definitely not done with his mouth.  
_ _

__Akaashi pulled his finger back out and leaned in again, this time working his tongue past the now softer ring of muscles. He could still barely believe that Bokuto was letting him do this, but he was more surprised by how much he was enjoying himself. He could feel every small twitch Bokuto made, heard every inhale. He could react instantly to any noise Bokuto made, making him feel even better. He pulled his tongue out and sucked slightly on the rim, causing Bokuto to let out a loud whine and pushed his hips closer to him.  
_ _

__Akaashi hummed against Bokuto when he felt his large hand come back to tangle itself in Akaashi’s hair. “Keiji, I’m so close.” He moaned, Akaashi reached around Bokuto and took his leaking member in his hand, stroking in time with the movements of his mouth. Under those conditions it really only took a few strokes for Bokuto to tip over the edge, his whole body going taunt and then relaxing into the mattress.  
_ _

__Akaashi sat back on his legs and wiped his mouth, he looked at the debauched mess of a man spread out on his bed and smiled to himself. Sure, him and Bokuto had brought each pleasure like this many times now, but there was something so satisfying about trying something new and seeing how well it worked for _both _of them.  
___ _

___Bokuto slowly rolled himself over so he was laying on his back, “Ah wait.” Akaashi said, leaning forward to pull one of the many towels they had set out beforehand out from under Bokuto. He balled it up and dropped it on the floor. “Now you don’t have to lay in your own come.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto smiled gratefully at him and relaxed back against the bed, spreading his legs in what he hoped was a seductive manner. “You’re hard again.” Bokuto noted. Akaashi was red and swollen, clearly ready for their next round.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi laughed and ran his hands up Bokuto’s shins, “I am.” He noted, “But I think we need to get you ready before anything can be done about that.” He said. He moved forward so that he was kneeling in between Bokuto’s legs. He reached over and grabbed the lube, “I can’t wait to make a mess of you.” He said, pouring lube over his fingers. It was definitely too much, but Akaashi already knew Bokuto liked it a little messy.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto watched Akaashi with a small amount of trepidation. It had after all, been 6 long years since he had a real dick in his ass. Bokuto licked his lips and reached over to pull Akaashi in for a sloppy kiss.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi went willingly, kissing him back slowly and thoroughly. Bokuto smiled at him when they broke it off, “I thought your mouth would taste worse.” He noted, causing Akaashi to sputter and laugh.  
_ _ _

___“You were very thorough in your cleaning. I’m very grateful for it.” He said, smirking. Somehow, just like that the tension seemed to bleed away. Bokuto stretched languidly, showing off all his hard work and a lifetime of volleyball. Akaashi smiled and sat back, he reached down and slid his fingers down until they were pressing against Bokuto’s entrance. “If I hurt you, make sure you tell me.” He said, finally slipping his finger inside. He watched Bokuto’s face for any sign of discomfort, but he found none.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto wiggled and smiled, “Come on, I’m used to fingering myself, get another in there.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi raised a brow at how Bokuto wanted to go faster. “You’re sure?”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto grinned, “Yeah, I feel pretty good. Besides you already used one finger earlier.” Akaashi nodded and slid another finger in alongside the first. He felt nervous that he hurt him when he heard Bokuto suck in a sharp breath, but upon meeting his eyes he could tell he was wrong. Bokuto was looking at him with fire in his eyes, he had his bottom lip sucked in between his teeth and a small smirk on his face. “Feels good.” Bokuto mumbled.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi swallowed around the sudden surge of arousal and focused on moving his fingers. He was slow and methodical, deftly avoiding pressing against Bokuto’s prostate. Even though Bokuto was already starting to get hard again, Akaashi knew that the prostate was more sensitive and he didn’t want to overstimulate him. He spread his fingers slightly, scissoring them. He leaned over Bokuto and kissed him, “You look amazing like this.” He said.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto looked at him with a dopey smile on his face. “You look amazing all the time.” He said. “I’m ready for the next one.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi rolled his eyes at the compliment, but wasted no time in getting another finger inside his boyfriend. Bokuto squirmed and let out a soft moan, pushing down against his hand. Akaashi couldn’t wait to be inside, he wasn’t sure he had ever been so impatient during sex before.  
_ _ _

___When Bokuto finally told him to “get on with it” Akaashi was hardly in a state to disagree. He reached over and grabbed a condom, wiping the lube off on one of the towels before rolling the condom on. He looked up and noticed Bokuto watching him.  
_ _ _

___“Are you ready?” Akaashi asked softly, positioning himself between Bokuto’s thick thighs.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto nodded, “Yeah.” He breathed. Bokuto shifted himself so that he could shove a pillow under his hips, though it took some finagling to get it under both Bokuto and the towels.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi swallowed hard at the sight of Bokuto spread out and waiting for him. As he predicted, there was lube everywhere, and the glistening of Bokuto’s thighs was more of a turn on than Akaashi would have predicted. Bokuto was flushed down to his chest, but somehow it made him look delectable instead of like a tomato. Akaashi poured some more lube on his hand, smearing it onto his length in a few messy strokes before finally pushing into Bokuto.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto moaned, loudly, as Akaashi pushed into him. He felt like all the oxygen was being forced from his lungs and he scrabbled for purchase against Akaashi’s back. He arched back slightly, pushing himself further down Akaashi’s length. “Keiji” He moaned, pulling him in for a very distracted, very sloppy, and very messy kiss.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi knew what it felt like to be in another person, but he could hardly compare his past encounters to _this _. Maybe it was because it was Bokuto. Maybe it was because there was months of pinning and build that came to a precipice in this moment. Maybe it was just because Akaashi loved Bokuto. Akaashi didn’t know, all he knew was that he was very close to coming moments after pushing in, and all the squirming Bokuto was doing beneath him was not helping him keep his orgasm at bay.  
___ _ _

___Bokuto felt Akaashi’s thighs pressing against the curve of his ass and he knew Akaashi was fully seated inside him. He moaned again, “Move.” He commanded through open-mouthed kisses.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi pulled back to breathe, chuckling when Bokuto tried to follow only to whine when Akaashi escaped. “If I move right now, this is going to be a very short foray into penetrative sex.”  
_ _ _

___“Don’t use fancy words when you’re balls deep in me.” Bokuto complained.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi snorted, “I’m going to come if I move.” He amended.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto rolled his eyes, then his shoulders. He let out a deep breath and relaxed his body. “Please?” He mumbled, pushing out his lower lip in a pout.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi felt his eye twitch and he groaned. He leaned down to kiss the pouty lip and he started moving. He pulled out slowly, rocking back into Bokuto, slowly building up a pace until they were both rocking against each other. Bokuto let out a soft aborted noise on every thrust, Akaashi hitting his prostate. He dug his fingers into Akaashi’s shoulders and back, chasing after his lips every time Akaashi pulled away even for a second.  
_ _ _

___It was hot, everything was hot and slick, sticky with sweat and lube. Noises of sex filled the room around them and reverberated back at them, spurring them on. Akaashi came first, hips stuttering as he let out a loud moan of “Koutarou” into one of their many kisses. He was sleepy from coming twice, but he wasn’t about to leave Bokuto unsatisfied either, so he reached between them and wrapped his long fingers around Bokuto’s length.  
_ _ _

___“Keiji, Keiji, Keiji.” Bokuto moaned, getting progressively louder and more breathy the closer he got to his orgasm. Akaashi worked him through it, laughing to himself at how boneless Bokuto got after a particularly good orgasm.  
_ _ _

___“Are you still alive?” Akaashi asked after a few moments, pressing his nose against Bokuto’s chin.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto didn’t bother opening his eyes, didn’t even twitch a muscle from his sprawled out position on the bed. “No.” He mumbled, voice rough from exertion. “You killed me with your dick.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi chuckled and pulled himself out of Bokuto, causing him to squirm. He tossed the condom in the trash and moved to kiss at Bokuto’s neck again. “We should shower.” He said. He got a very disgruntled noise from his partner, he kind of agreed with that. But the last thing he wanted to do was crawl into bed as disgusting as they were.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi stood, sore in the best way possible, and pulled on his underwear. He padded his way to the bathroom to start the tub, getting the water as hot as they could possibly stand, then he returned to the bedroom. When he stood at the edge of the bed Bokuto finally cracked an eye open to look at him. “Carry me.” He commanded.  
_ _ _

___“I could try, but I might drop you.” He said, looking down at Bokuto unimpressed. Bokuto seemed to mull it over for a moment before finally standing up of his own volition and following Akaashi to the bathroom.  
_ _ _

___  
_ _ _

___Bokuto, like usual, woke up well before his alarm the next morning. He blinked up at the ceiling as he lay in the still silence of Akaashi’s bedroom. He didn’t want to move at first, wrapped up in Akaashi’s embrace, but he also knew he needed to get his run in or he wasn’t going to be in very good shape when his game started that afternoon.  
_ _ _

___He rolled off the bed and started pulling on his jogging clothes.  
_ _ _

___“How do you feel?”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto jumped, dropping his socks. He turned to look at Akaashi, he looked like he was still mostly asleep. Bokuto smiled sweetly at Akaashi. “Good.” He said.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi sat up and stretched slightly, “Wait for me. I’ll go with you.” He said, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto laughed, “You don’t have to. Like you said, I run early. You should get some more sleep.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi leaned over and kissed Bokuto’s temple. “I want to.” He said simply moving to grab his own running gear out of his dresser. “Besides, I’ve been slacking off lately.” He almost never ran when Bokuto spent the night or if he spent the night with Bokuto, so he really hadn’t been running very much in the last few months and the lethargy was starting to catch up to him. “I’m going to get lazy at this rate.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto shook his head, a smile on his face, but he didn’t try to stop Akaashi anymore. “I’ll take you to my secret spot. But you have to keep up.”  
_ _ _

___“Don’t doubt me.”  
_ _ _

___  
_ _ _

___“Fuck. Slow down.” Akaashi wheezed, trying, and failing to keep up with his boyfriend. Akaashi was used to having good stamina, but he underestimated just how insane his boyfriend’s training schedule was. Akaashi didn’t usually pay very much attention to what time Bokuto left in the mornings because he was more than half asleep, but he was regretting that decision now. They had been running for the better part of an hour and a half and Bokuto hadn’t slowed down at all.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto slowed with a laugh, at least he sounded winded. “You said you could keep up.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi glowered at Bokuto, “I wasn’t expecting to run uphill for so long.”  
_ _ _

___“We’re almost there. Then we can slow down. But we gotta hurry for a little longer.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi groaned but pushed himself further, his legs burning with exertion. When they crested the hill though, Akaashi suddenly found himself thinking that all the pain was worth it. He slowed his pace gradually, Bokuto slowing next to him, as they punched through the trees and onto a small outcropping. “Wow.” Akaashi breathed.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto grinned, wrapping his sweaty frame around Akaashi. “Worth it, right?” He said, dropping a kiss to Akaashi’s neck.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi nodded. He felt like they could see all of Tokyo from there, with the sun rising over the water, casting soft rays of sun to illuminate the city, still sleeping with snow.  
_ _ _

___“Sometimes, when I’m having a bad day and I don’t want to get up, I think about this place and how if I just do my workout I get so see this beautiful sight. It’s something that my therapist helped me with. Motivation has been something I’ve struggled with for a long time. No matter how much I loved something, I couldn’t always get the motivation to do it.” He explained. “Sometimes that was volleyball, sometimes it was school work.” He shrugged. “Sometimes it was even going to the sanctuary. Though thinking about you usually got me out of that slump.” He laughed.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi listened with rapt attention as Bokuto spilled his heart out to him. They were feelings that Akaashi was intimately familiar with. Over the time they had been dating, Akaashi had come to think he was pretty good at reading Bokuto’s moods, and he had even gotten halfway decent at getting Bokuto out of his slumps. Though, sometimes it was a gamble on which course of action was the best to take. “It seems like you have a good therapist.” He said, turning around to look at his boyfriend.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto grinned, “Yeah, she does a pretty good job.” He laughed. “Let’s sit.” Bokuto said. He pulled off the outer layer of his coat, the windbreaker part, and laid it down on the snowy ground, pulling Akaashi down with him so they could watch the rest of the sunrise.  
_ _ _

___“I love you Bokuto.” Akaashi hummed, leaning into the large embrace. “I don’t think you know just how badly I needed you in my life when you came.” He said.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto hummed, pressing his cheek against Akaashi’s temple. “So why not tell me?”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi chuckled at that, “I just was in a bad spot mentally.” He said, “I was struggling with being out of school. I always felt like I had my life together, but I didn’t realize how much I depended on the structure and rigidity that school offered me. I always had deadlines and a strict schedule to deal with.” He explained. “When I got my job at the sanctuary I did fine when I was still learning the ropes because I had someone telling me what to do, but when they retired and I was the only vet on staff I struggled. I felt inadequate and frankly, stupid.” He took a deep breath, half expecting Bokuto to interrupt him to tell him how smart he was, but he must have been able to sense that now was not the time for that. “Sometimes I couldn’t figure out why the bird was dying and I couldn’t react fast enough to save them. It happened a lot actually. I thought I was going to lose my job.” He wasn’t sure how to explain that Bokuto coming to the shelter and bringing such positive energy with him had helped him. He found his footing. “Watching you just be happy to be around the birds even if you couldn’t touch them, asking tons of questions every day. It helped me remember why I wanted to do this to begin with.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto kissed his temple after Akaashi was silent for a while, clearly done talking. “I always wondered why you had textbooks out when I went over.” He laughed. “You were studying.” He smiled, “You are smart Keiji, like the smartest. But we all have slumps.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi turned around in Bokuto’s hold, settling himself into Bokuto’s lap. “You changed my life.” He said. It was momentous, but it was stated as fact. “Don’t forget that.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto’s grin split his face and he nuzzled against Akaashi’s neck. “Let’s get back.”  
_ _ _

___  
_ _ _

___Bokuto sauntered into the locker room with a dopey grin on his face and a slightly funny walk.  
_ _ _

___Kuroo took one glance at him and his own face split into an ear-to-ear grin. “Bro!” He shouted, running up to his best friend and enveloping him in a huge hug. “How was it?” He asked loudly, getting the attention of his other teammates.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto flushed a little, but he was too excited to care about it. “Bro.” Bokuto said seriously, a hand on his shoulder as their hug ended. “It was amazing. Best sex I’ve ever had.” He said nodding sagely.  
_ _ _

___Kuroo snorted, “You don’t exactly have a lot of experience to compare it to.”  
_ _ _

___“True. But it was totally amazing. Keiji’s fingers are so _long _.” He groaned laughing when one of their teammates balked at the information.  
___ _ _

___“TMI Bokuto.”  
_ _ _

___“Tell me more!” Kuroo shouted as they started stripping down to change into the uniform. And Bokuto did, he told him way more information than anyone in that locker room needed, or wanted, to know.  
_ _ _

___Kuroo snickered as they made their way to the court. “Sounds like your boyfriend is a great lay.”  
_ _ _

___“The best.”  
_ _ _


	10. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey just a warning that there is some homophobia in this and the next chapter as Bokuto is staying with Akaashi and his parents for a little while. I occasionally head-cannon Akaashi's parents as rich snobby assholes who would find having a gay son as a nuisance or as an embarrassment. If that worries you at all or triggers you at all I would suggest skipping the next two updates. If you drop a comment I can summarize what you missed so that you can still continue reading in the later chapters.

It was several weeks and many games before they were packing up for a trip to Osaka. “I don’t want to go.” Akaashi declared suddenly, throwing his suit on the bed.  


Bokuto looked up from where he was sitting, playing a video game on a handheld console. “Yes you do.” He informed his boyfriend.   


Akaashi groaned and turned towards Bokuto, “No. I’ll just call her and say we can’t make it.”  


Bokuto heaved himself off the floor and wrapped his arms around Akaashi, pulling his phone from him. “Stop. Your sister is excited about getting to see you for the first time since the wedding.” He said. “And this is going to be only the second time since you moved out, right?”   


Akaashi decompressed, falling boneless against Bokuto’s chest. “But I don’t want to see my parents. You weren’t at the wedding, you don’t know what they’re like.” He grumbled.   


Bokuto rubbed his hands against Akaashi’s sides. “I can’t say I know what you’re going through in that pretty little head of yours, but I can guarantee you that I can handle it.” He said, “I came out as gay on national TV, I’ve got plenty of practice in fielding oddly invasive, snotty, or downright offensive comments and questions.”   


That somehow, made Akaashi snort. He picked himself up off Bokuto’s chest and nodded, “Alright. Alright.” He said, moving to finish packing before they had to catch their flight.   


  


Bokuto’s false sense of bravado was starting to fail him as they stood outside Akaashi’s family home. It was huge. Akaashi had told him that he came from a wealthy family but as Bokuto and Akaashi waited for the door to be answered he had to stare up at the huge estate. “You really grew up here?”  


“Unfortunately.” The flight had only been 90 minutes, but that 90 minutes had given Akaashi plenty of time to rethink how terrible of an idea this had been. Bokuto may not have seemed terribly nervous, but Akaashi knew that he was. Akaashi didn’t talk about his family very often, when he did it usually wasn’t with the love and affection coloring his tone that Bokuto used when describing his own childhood.   


“Keiji?” A grinning lady answered the door, looking between them, “Oh you must be Bokuto!” She said excitedly, reaching out to shake his hand, “It’s nice to meet you Bokuto-san! I’m Akaashi’s sister, Haruka.”  


Bokuto shook the hand back firmly with a smile, “It’s nice to meet you Haruka-san, I wasn’t expecting you to still be pregnant.” He laughed.  


Haruka winked, “My American friend is the one setting up the party. Apparently, they celebrate the baby before it’s born there.” She said as she pulled her brother into a hug.   


“Haruka, you’re going to suffocate him.” A voice came from the gate that Haruka had come through.   


She turned around and looked at the man standing there. “This is Keiji’s boyfriend, Bokuto-san.” He introduced him, “This is Jun. He’s my husband.”   


Jun bowed politely, and Bokuto was quick to return it. Jun reached out, “Let me help you with your bags.” He said. Bokuto smiled and shook his head.   


“I got it.” He said, “Thanks though!” Together, the four of them stepped into the manor. Bokuto reached over and grasped Akaashi’s hand in his.   


Akaashi looked around and squeezed Bokuto’s hand, “It hasn’t changed much.” He noted.   


“You okay?” Bokuto asked, receiving a nod in return.   


“Mom, Keiji is here.” Haruka said as they stepped into the house. They took off their shoes in the genkan and left their luggage by the door, following Haruka’s voice into a large sitting room.   


Akaashi saw his mother first, “Welcome.” She said, much harder than Bokuto felt appropriate for a long awaited reunion, but Akaashi had warned him about that.   


Bokuto bowed deeply, “Pardon the intrusion.” He said, “Thank-you for letting me into your home. My name is Bokuto Koutarou. It’s very nice to meet you Akaashi-sama.” He said, straightening himself out. He held out a gift, a tradition.  


She looked at him appraisingly, like she was trying to judge if he was even worth responding too. She gave a small bow in return, “Welcome.” She reiterated, but offered no other nicety, she didn’t even reach for the gift. “There is a guest room set up for you to leave your belongings in.” She said, that definitely felt like a dismissal, and if the way Akaashi stiffened next to him was any indication, he was right.   


“He’ll stay with me.” Akaashi said, chin up.   


She glowered at him, “No.”  


“Why not? He is my partner. Haruka and Jun share a room.”  


“They’re married.”  


“They weren’t last time I was here.”  


Bokuto saw a muscle in Akaashi’s mother’s jaw pop out with the exertion of keeping a neutral face. “He cannot stay with you.” She reiterated.   


Akaashi frowned. “Because we’re both men?” He said, getting it right out in the open.   


“Must you remind us?” She said, exasperated. “Yes, because you are both men. We don’t need anything foul going on under our roof.”  


Bokuto pulled back on Akaashi’s hand, “Hey, it’s okay, I can stay in the guest room.” He said.   


“No, it’s not okay for _my parents _to treat you that way.” He pulled Bokuto with him towards the entry way to grab their luggage and drag it to Akaashi’s old bedroom. When they finally got there and slid the door open Akaashi yelled in frustration. “They haven’t changed a bit.”  
__

__Bokuto wrapped his arms around Akaashi, “I’m sorry.” He muttered, dropping kisses all over Akaashi’s face. “It’s not fair of them to treat you like that.” He said. It surprised Bokuto when he heard a sob escape Akaashi and he gently guided Akaashi to the futon laid out on the floor. He laid them down and held Akaashi close, letting him cry out his frustrations.  
_ _

__It was some time later when Akaashi finally lifted his head and looked at Bokuto. “Morning Sleepyhead.” Bokuto greeted, despite Akaashi never really falling asleep, and it definitely wasn’t morning.  
_ _

__Akaashi huffed, “Sorry for my outburst.” He apologized, feeling embarrassed about losing his cool like that.  
_ _

__“I have a feeling that you needed that.” He said, dropping a kiss on Akaashi’s forehead. “You don’t cry enough for yourself.”  
_ _

__“Is that something your therapist told you?” He asked, laying himself across Bokuto’s broad chest.  
_ _

__“Yup!” He grinned, “But really. You’ve been holding these feelings in for so long, they were bound to come out.”  
_ _

__“I guess. I didn’t stay here when my sister got married, and I didn’t bring anybody home. I think it’s easier for them to ignore it that way.” Bokuto nodded and squeezed Akaashi tight. Eventually Akaashi dragged himself up and made his way to his suitcase to grab out more comfortable clothes.  
_ _

__Bokuto sat up and watched Akaashi silently. “We can stay somewhere else if it’s easier for you.” He said.  
_ _

__Akaashi sagged as he tugged his t-shirt on. “I don’t want to go somewhere else.” He said in a rare case of petulance. “I want them to realize that my sexuality isn’t going to change. And I want them to see you as the man I want to be with.” He turned to Bokuto, looking him in the eye. “Ridiculous, huh? We haven’t even been together a year, but, I don’t know, that’s how I feel. I can’t imagine being with anyone else.”  
_ _

__Bokuto huffed and held his arms open, waiting for Akaashi to drop himself in his lap before enveloping him a tight hug. “I don’t think it’s ridiculous, I feel the same way. You’re the best thing to happen to me since I met Kuroo.” He said simply. “I can’t say I understand completely because my family was so understanding, but I was there when Kuroo came out to his family, and that wasn’t pretty either.” He said. He kissed Akaashi’s temple and hummed softly, feeling the tension slowly drain out of Akaashi.  
_ _

__Akaashi chuckled weakly from where his face was pressed tightly against Bokuto’s neck, “This is an interesting change, huh?”  
_ _

__“What’d’ya mean?”  
_ _

__“Usually you’re the one in a slump and I’m the one pulling you out of it.” He explained.  
_ _

__Bokuto hummed, “I hate seeing you sad, but I do enjoy feeling like I’m contributing to this relationship.” He joked, only to get a smack on the shoulder. “I know, I know.” He said softly. He looked up when the door slowly slid open.  
_ _

__“Dinner is ready.” Haruka said, poking her head inside the door. “Is he okay?”  
_ _

__“I’m awake Haruka.” Akaashi said, though it was slightly obscured by Bokuto’s neck.  
_ _

__Haruka stepped into the room and slowly lowered herself to the floor, accepting Bokuto’s outstretched hand for support. “You’re very strong.” She laughed.  
_ _

__“I’m a volleyball player.” Bokuto answered proudly.  
_ _

__“I know! I can’t wait to see you play. Akaashi says you’re very good.” Bokuto preened under the praise and pressed his nose into the soft hair behind Akaashi’s ear, pressing a sloppy kiss there.  
_ _

__Akaashi turned his head and looked at Haruka. “Is dad home?” He asked, not wanting to deal with _that _just yet.  
___ _

___Haruka nodded, “I’m sorry, I just wanted everyone to be together.” She said, fiddling her fingers in her lap anxiously. It made Bokuto laugh to himself because it was the same nervous habit Akaashi had.  
_ _ _

___“I know.” Akaashi answered softly. “And I want to be here. But they don’t want Bokuto here and… that hurts.” Bokuto ran his hands up and down Akaashi’s back and he idly wondered if Akaashi was too tired to move after crying for so long, since he probably wouldn’t normally stay sat in his lap like that for the duration of a conversation.  
_ _ _

___“I wish I knew what to do to help you.” She said, reaching out to grab Akaashi’s hand, “I wish they knew how to see you for you instead of your sexuality.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi huffed and squeezed his sister’s hand. “Me too Haruka.” Slowly, and seemingly with a great amount of energy, Akaashi pulled himself off Bokuto and stood up. He held his hand out to his boyfriend pulling him off the futon, who in turn helped Haruka off the futon. “We’ll head out in a minute. I should put real pants back on.”  
_ _ _

___Haruka laughed and nodded, “Yeah. Are those even yours? They’re quite large.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto chortled, “They’re mine.” Haruka shook her head with a smile on her face as she left the room. Bokuto slid up behind Akaashi despite the fact that he was in the middle of changing his pants. “She’s nice.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi elbowed Bokuto back so he could pull up his jeans, “She is now.” He took a deep breath before they stepped out of the bedroom and made their way to the dining hall, Akaashi didn’t elaborate and Bokuto didn’t ask him too. That sounded like a conversation for another time.  
_ _ _

___Stepping into the dining area felt like entering a warzone. The tension in the air was palpable as the two men entered holding hands. They received rather nasty looks from both of Akaashi’s parents as they took their seats. “Hello father.” Akaashi greeted.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto bowed politely, “Bokuto Koutarou. It’s good to meet you Akaashi-sama.” He received little more than a passing glance for his efforts and reached under the table to take Akaashi’s hand in his own again. He felt like his eyes were going to burst out of his head when he saw a butler come out of the kitchen and begin to set plates down on the table. “People serve you?” He whispered to Akaashi.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi sighed, “Yeah.”  
_ _ _

___“How’d you learn to cook?” Bokuto asked, surprising Akaashi with the change in direction, though not completely off topic.  
_ _ _

___Hakura grinned from across the table. “Keiji can cook?” She asked.  
_ _ _

___“I do live alone.” Akaashi said, “Although, not for much longer.” He said with smug satisfaction. “I had to learn to cook for myself in college, and my roommate was a very good cook. He showed me the basics and I learned more fully when I moved to my own apartment.” He explained.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto whistled, “Neat. I try to get Kuroo or Kenma to do most of the cooking.” He said. “Those are my roommates.” He clarified to Haruka and Jun.  
_ _ _

___“You don’t make enough to live on your own?” A condescending voice came from the head of the table and Bokuto wanted to shrink back from it.  
_ _ _

___“Father.” Akaashi admonished, but Bokuto just smiled.  
_ _ _

___“Professional volleyball doesn’t pay that well.” He admitted, “But I could live alone if I chose to. I have my own, personal, reasons for choosing to live with someone else.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi didn’t mind letting Bokuto speak, but he glared at his father. “That was inappropriate.” Akaashi told his father. It was rude and unnecessary to bring money into the whole business.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi’s mother seemed to sniff at that. “I’d say it was inappropriate for you to bring this man here, knowing how we feel about the matter.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi griped Bokuto’s hand so tight, Bokuto was afraid he was cutting off circulation to his fingers, but he wasn’t about to take his hand away either. “Why should I care about your feelings when you don’t give a damn about mine!” He half shouted.  
_ _ _

___Haruka looked pained as she stood up, “Please stop fighting. We’re a family, can we please just act like we’re normal for once?” She asked.  
_ _ _

___Everyone quieted down after that, it was too quiet to be considered normal, but at least there wasn’t any more shouting.  
_ _ _

___After their unsettlingly quiet dinner, Bokuto and Akaashi retired to their room. Bokuto flopped backwards on the futon while Akaashi gathered his toiletries for a shower. Bokuto stared at the ceiling, his mind whirling. He knew there wasn’t anything that he could do to make Akaashi’s family accept him, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want to.  
_ _ _

___He was half afraid that he was going to spiral into a depressive episode before they even went home, but he took the time that Akaashi was in the shower to meditate some. It helped him focus on himself and come to terms with his own feelings which, while it did not always stop him from feeling depressed, it certainly helped.  
_ _ _

___While Akaashi was in the shower there was a knock on the door. Bokuto stood up, sliding the door open. “Oh, hey.” He said, smiling at Akaashi’s sister. “Sorry about dinner.”  
_ _ _

___“You didn’t do anything.” Haruka said with a laugh, “Can I come in?”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto pulled the door open wider and let her in. “What’s up?” He asked, suddenly feeling nervous. This was the first time he had met Akaashi’s sister after all, so he was a little nervous that he was doing a bad job proving that he was a good choice for Akaashi.  
_ _ _

___“I just wanted to apologize for my parents.” She said, “I know that I wasn’t always the best sister to Keiji, but eventually I came around. I- I can’t imagine how lonely Keiji must be in the city.” Bokuto was sure that Akaashi was lonelier before Bokuto dragged him into his circle, bringing him to practice and back to his apartment to hang out with his friends. Bokuto is fairly certain that there has been progress in Akaashi’s mental health.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto scratched the back of his neck and sighed, “He’s doing okay.” Bokuto said. “I think he is a little lonely, but we’re working on it.” He laughed, “But you don’t need to apologize to me for your parents.” He eventually said.  
_ _ _

___Hakruka rubbed her stomach and sighed, “I just want him to be happy. Like when we were kids.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto furrowed his brow, Akaashi didn’t usually reminisce about his childhood in a particularly happy light. “Sure.” He knew that Akaashi’s parents weren’t around very often when he was younger and that Akaashi resented them for that just a little. “Was there something else?”  
_ _ _

___Haruka looked a little nervous and she pursed her lips before finally speaking a moment later, “I guess I just worry about him. I… I miss him. And I worry about what he gets up to in Tokyo. I know he went through some rough times when he was in college, and I know that I should have been there for him. I…” She paused and took a deep breath. “Are you sure he’s okay?”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto frowned, but he listened to her. “I think that if you’re worried, you should talk to Keiji.” He said once she had finished. “I think he would appreciate knowing that you care. But I also don’t think it’s my place to tell you things he should be telling you himself.”  
_ _ _

___Haruka sighed and nodded, “He’s just so hard to talk to sometimes.”  
_ _ _

___“You gotta put in the effort.” He said with a grin, “That’s how I won his heart! I annoyed him day after day and made him fall for me.” He laughed.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi snorted from behind Haruka, causing the other to jump slightly. “He’s right. Such a pain-in-the-ass.” He said with a small smile. “Bathroom’s free Koutarou.” He said.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto nodded and grabbed his bag. He dropped a kiss on Akaashi’s temple as he walked past and he made his way to the bathroom himself.  
_ _ _

___  
_ _ _

___Haruka looked at her brother nervously, “How much did you hear?”  
_ _ _

___“Actually just the part where he said he annoyed me.” Akaashi answered, “Although now I’m curious.” Akaashi went through the motions of putting his stuff away as he listened to Haruka speak from behind him. She finally started the conversation that she had been scared of since he came out.  
_ _ _

___  
_ _ _

___Bokuto poked his head into the bedroom and saw Akaashi sitting up on the futon with a book in his lap and his glasses perched on his nose. “Hey babe.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi looked up and smiled, “Welcome back.”  
_ _ _

___“How was your conversation with Haruka? She seemed like she wanted to talk about some serious stuff.” Bokuto said, closing the door behind him and dropping his bag next to Akaashi’s he made his way over to the futon.  
_ _ _

___“Overdue.” He said, Akaashi set the book aside and stretched his legs out, patting his lap invitingly.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto grinned and dropped onto the futon, and Akaashi, rather ungracefully. “Do you want to talk about it?” He offered, knowing that it was helpful to talk when you needed to process information.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto felt Akaashi exhale against his face. “Well, I mean, I know she doesn’t care now that I’m gay, but she cared when we were kids.” He said. “I came out to her first and I think it freaked her out a little. She was actually the one who told my parents.” Bokuto listened, not wanting to interrupt. “I’m not entirely sure what made her change her mind, but she reached out to me while I was in college. I- I wasn’t doing very well.” Bokuto nodded and kissed Akaashi’s cheek in encouragement. “I was drinking a lot and sure I was keeping my grades up, but I was a mess. If it weren’t for my roommate I would have been in shambles. Well, anyway, we spoke for a while, but it was still different. We weren’t just kids anymore.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi pulled Bokuto closer to him and hugged him tight. “I almost killed myself.” He admitted softly. Bokuto nodded, offering comfort without breaking Akaashi’s flow. “I was so miserable in college. I barely had any friends, I had no family who I could reach out to, and to top it off I had dated someone who was a piece of shit. I’m still not entirely sure what pushed me forward. Spite?” Akaashi huffed a humorless laugh, “Yeah, probably. I wanted to prove to my family that just because I was gay didn’t mean that I was a fuck-up.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto wiped the moisture collecting at the corners of Akaashi’s eyes and leaned forward to kiss him softly. “What happened next?”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi sucked in a breath and smiled at Bokuto, “My roommate brought me to a volleyball game. Your team, though you weren’t a member yet, or at least I don’t think so. You definitely weren’t on the court.” That made Bokuto laugh a little, “After watching volleyball again I remembered how much I liked it. I joined the club at school shortly after that. I met those guys I introduced you too.” Akaashi shook his head, “It helped. Obviously I wasn’t healed, but it helped.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto hummed, “Have you tried going to therapy?” He asked, “I know it sounds cliché, but it really does help. Whenever I can’t figure out why I’m feeling a certain way or if I’m just going through a rough period, she is always there to help me out.” He snorted, “Although she did get mad at me for calling her while she was on a date once.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi raised his brows, “You call your therapist when she isn’t working?”  
_ _ _

___“Not usually. But she knows that sometimes her clients need her when she isn’t in the office. I haven’t had to call her too much in the past couple years. Just the bi-monthly appointments are fine. But when I was first diagnosed, I struggled and even though at the time I was seeing her almost twice a week, I still sometimes needed to talk through things.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi nodded in understanding, “You seem to have a very dedicated therapist.” He said with a smile.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto laughed and nodded, “I’m sure she could find you one too.” He said, “It’s probably a conflict of interest for you to see her though.”  
_ _ _

___“I’m fine Bokuto.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto pursed his lips and looked over Akaashi’s face. “I think it could help you.” He said, “I know you like to pretend that you don’t have problems, but we all have issues.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi sighed, “I’ll think about it. I just don’t want to be prescribed anything.” He groaned.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto rolled his eyes and ran his hands up Akaashi’s thighs, tucking his fingers under the hem of Akaashi’s briefs. “Just because you go to therapy doesn’t mean you’ll be prescribed something dummy.” He grinned, “Actually my therapist isn’t even the one who prescribed me my medications. Psychiatrists have to prescribe medication.”  
_ _ _

___“Oh, I just assumed that your therapist was your psychiatrist.” Akaashi said.  
_ _ _

___“Nope. My psychiatrist lives back home and I started taking my meds back in High School, but the therapist lives closer to us and I started seeing her only my senior year of high school, it was a commute for sure, but my parents wanted to make sure that I wouldn’t need to change offices when I moved out.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi hummed and ran his hands up Bokuto’s chest. “I didn’t know that.” He said, “I guess there is still a lot we don’t know about each other.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto responded by moving his hands own to Akaashi’s hips. “I don’t think that’s a bad thing.” He said resolutely, “We have all the time in the world to figure each other out.” He snorted suddenly, “Ah! But don’t think that I’m going to give up on trying to get you to talk to someone!”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi leaned up and pressed a gentle kiss to Bokuto’s mouth, “I said I will think about it.” He let Bokuto drag him up and kiss him again.  
_ _ _

___  
_ _ _

___The next morning brought its own series of issues, “Keiji.” Bokuto said softly, rousing his boyfriend from his sleep.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi rolled over to Bokuto shaking him awake, he blinked away the sleep in his eyes and looked up into the nervous face of his boyfriend. “What?” He mumbled.  
_ _ _

___“I can’t remember how to get out of the house, and I don’t wanna run into your parents.” Bokuto answered.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi blinked at him for a moment, wondering what he was talking about, before taking in his boyfriend’s appearance and laughing. “Give me a minute to get dressed and I’ll go running with you.” He said, “Not sure they’ll let you back in if you leave.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto snorted but he rested back on his futon and waited patiently for Akaashi to pull on his running leggings. He hummed, “I like how those look on your legs.” He said, grinning.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi rolled his eyes and pulled his running shorts up over the leggings, “Now you know how I feel about your gear.” He said, “Or your knee pads, God, those knee pads are going to kill me.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto laughed, and grabbed his phone and headphones, then pulled his jacket over his shoulders. He followed Akaashi out of the bedroom and eventually out into the chilly February air. Bokuto popped his head phones into his ears and followed Akaashi as he ran streets he hadn’t run down in years. They didn’t talk while they ran, but they did stop in a park just a few miles from Akaashi’s house while they were on their loop back and the sun was finally starting to poke above the horizon, warming the frigid air around them.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi slowed to a stop and turned towards Bokuto, “Not as nice as your spot, but I came here a few times to get away from my parents when I was in high school.” Akaashi said after Bokuto took out his headphones.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto whistled and looked around, “It’s cute.” He said, small smile gracing his lips.  
_ _ _

___“It’s just a regular park.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto shrugged, “Parks are cute.” He said laughing. “Come ‘ere.” He said, opening his arms and motioning for a hug. When Akaashi stepped into his waiting arms, Bokuto squeezed him tight and buried his face in Akaashi’s damp hair.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi returned the hug with a certain amount of relief. The last time he had stood in this park, he was under the impression that no one would love him and that he would be alone forever. Perhaps a bit dramatic, but Akaashi was still young and having a flair for the dramatic wasn’t always a bad thing.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto pulled back after a few moments and grinned at him. He was about to say something, but Akaashi didn’t give him the chance to speak. He dragged him into a kiss. A wet, sloppy, definitely not-for-public kiss, but Bokuto returned it. When they broke apart, Bokuto informed Akaashi that he suddenly couldn’t remember what he had been about to say, causing both of them to laugh. They walked the roads back towards Akaashi’s family home, and by the time they reached it they were both freezing.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi opened the door and ushered Bokuto inside, closing the door against the cold. “And just where were you so early in the morning?” They heard from nearby. If Akaashi wasn’t already cold, he would have been able to blame some of the shivering on the chill his mother’s icy tone sent up his spine.  
_ _ _

___“Running.” Bokuto responded simply as he knelt to tug off his shoe laces, then he tugged Akaashi’s loose just because he was still standing perfectly still staring at his mother.  
_ _ _

___She narrowed her eyes at her son, “Just running.”  
_ _ _

___“Well, I don’t know what else you expect us to do at dawn, outside, in February.” Akaashi retorted, finally regaining control of his speech. He hadn’t been expecting anyone to be awake so early in his house.  
_ _ _

___“I don’t know what you two get up to in your spare time.” She sniffed, pulling her robe tighter around her, probably to protect herself from the chill the boys had let in.  
_ _ _

___“Running. We get up to running.” Bokuto interrupted. “Come on Keiji. We should change into dry clothes.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi had been surprised by the slightly harsh tone from Bokuto, but he let Bokuto tug him away for a moment before snorting, “Wrong way.” He said and corrected their course. Once they were in the relative safety of their room, Akaashi let out a long sigh.  
_ _ _

___“Sorry, I was kind of rude.” Bokuto mumbled, pulling clothes out of his suitcase. “Now your mom will never like me.”  
_ _ _

___“No, don’t apologize. She deserved a little bit of sass.” He knelt down to grab his own clothes, “Besides, you’re a gay man, and you’re dating her son. She wasn’t going to like you anyway, no matter how great you are.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto pondered that for a moment before shrugging, “Her loss.” He said, “She is pushing away her most amazing son.” He said.  
_ _ _

___“I’m her only son.”  
_ _ _

___“See? Most amazing by default.” He laughed. Despite having just had an encounter with Akaashi’s mom, this time, Akaashi dragged Bokuto into the bathroom with him.  
_ _ _

___  
_ _ _

___Several hours and one tense breakfast later, found Akaashi standing in the living room arguing with his parents once again. Bokuto had been told to stay in Akaashi’s room, and he had, but he could still hear snippets of their conversation. He tried not to eavesdrop on the argument as he pulled the long black knee pads up his legs. Normally he would get into his uniform at the gym because it was a little cold outside to walk around in shorts, but he needed something rhythmic and calming to keep his mind off the situation at hand.  
_ _ _

___When Akaashi came back into the room he was slightly red in the face and slightly winded from arguing. “Will they come?” Bokuto asked softly, standing up to wrap Akaashi in a hug.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi melted into the embrace and nodded. “Seems I’ve won the argument. Though I think it’s because of Haruka and not because of me.” He said.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto let out a weak chuckle, “I’m not sure I’m happy or not that you won. Now I have to play volleyball in front of your parents.”  
_ _ _

___“Well, at least they can’t critique your style since they don’t know anything about volleyball.” Akaashi reassured him. “Besides, you’re a strong team, I’m sure it will be fine.”  
_ _ _


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Same deal as last chapter, there is homophobia from Akaashi's parents. If that is something you wish to skip over lemme know and I'll give you a synopsis of the events!

It was not fine. Akaashi wasn’t sure if Bokuto was just super nervous or what, but the team was struggling. Akaashi tried to ignore the pointed jabs that he could hear from his parents sitting in the seats behind him, Haruka, and Jun, but it got harder the longer the game went on.  


The MSBY Jackals had won the first set with no issues, but for the second set they changed their line up and it seemed like they paired an amazing blocker with Bokuto’s position. Bokuto hadn’t gotten a point in the whole second set and they were down nearly 6 points. It had been awhile since Akaashi had seen Bokuto out of whack on the court, although he had explained it to Akaashi a few times that sometimes his bipolar disorder could affect his gameplay because he was more sensitive to mood swings.   


If something set him off he could easily fall into a depressive episode, and while him and his therapist were still working hard on trying to get Bokuto to be able to pull himself out of them, as it were he usually got subbed out. Akaashi hoped Bokuto would work it out before he got subbed.   


After another thinly-veiled insult, Akaashi stood up, glared at his parents, and walked down the steps to stand at the railing overlooking the court. He looked up sharply when he heard a familiar voice calling his boyfriends name. He smiled to himself and walked over to Bokuto’s parents. “Hello Bokuto-san.” He greeted, bowing politely.  


They turned to him, surprised by someone suddenly addressing them. “Akaashi!” Bokuto’s mother grinned, wrapping him in a huge hug. “We didn’t know you were going to be here!” She said excitedly.   


Akaashi smiled and nodded, “Yeah, my sister’s baby shower is this weekend actually, so somehow I managed to drag them here to watch Bokuto- ah- Koutarou play.” He said, correcting himself.   


She nodded, “You know, now that you say that, I think Kou did say something about that.” She said, “He isn’t doing so well right now though.”  


Akaashi nodded, “He was pretty freaked out when we left my house. I think he might be nervous about impressing my parents. They uh, aren’t exactly accepting people.” He said. Akaashi flinched when the whistle was blown for a time out. He could see Bokuto breathing hard and listening intently, he hoped they weren’t discussing subbing him out. “I hope he can recover.”  


“It won’t be over if they have to lose this set, but he’ll take it hard.” She commented, Akaashi agreed. When the team turned to head back to the court Bokuto’s eyes lifted to the railing, searching. Akaashi waved his hands and called Bokuto’s name, catching his attention.   


Bokuto offered him a small half smile, to which Akaashi responded to with screaming out encouragement, along with Bokuto’s parents.   


“Shouldn’t they just stop sending it to Bokuto?” Akaashi jumped at the sound of Haruka’s voice next to him.  


“Well they could, but what will running away solve? If Bokuto can’t break through the wall on his own they’ll sub him out. He is a powerful player. He’s actually one of the top 5 spikers in Japan.” He said. “Maya, he’s the setter, or the one who tossed the ball to whoever is going to spike it, he sends it to wherever he thinks the best chance to get a point is going to be.” He explained. “If he thinks that Bokuto can break through, he is going to send it to Bokuto. But if he thinks one of the other spikers could hit it better, he will send it there. Right now he clearly thinks that Bokuto is their best chance at winning.”  


“But he isn’t getting the ball through, so why not just send it to someone else?”  


Akaashi hummed. “I’m not 100% sure, but I’ve spent a bit of time playing with them, so I can make a guess. My guess would be that Maya is trying to get Bokuto out of his funk, though I think it could be done better. They’re playing a 5-set game, so if they lose one set it won’t really be a huge deal, though it would be a devastating blow to Bokuto.” He watched the game silently for a moment while he gathered his thoughts, “If it were me, I probably wouldn’t sent it to Bokuto. They have many powerful players and I think relying on Bokuto too much isn’t going to help them here. Bokuto gets antsy though. There isn’t anything in the world Bokuto loves more than playing volleyball, so if he gets like this, I think the best strategy is to stop sending spikes to him. It will give him time to calm down, but it will also get him antsy to get back in the game, I think that would make him play more efficiently when he came back. Of course, if he then missed when it did get sent to him, he would probably get even more moody.” Akaashi snorted.  


When there was no immediate response to his explanation, he looked around, everyone was staring at him. “You know, Koutarou said you thought a lot, but that was very well thought out. Have you tried explaining that to their setter?” Bokuto’s dad said.   


“Uh, no. It’s never happened while I was in the gym and I guess I never thought about it while I was around Maya. I mean, I’ve really only seen Bokuto get like this a handful of times. And a couple of those were from the TV screen.”   


“Keiji, you’re ridiculous.” Haruka said with a smile, “I can’t believe you’ve thought all that out so thoroughly. Of course you would end up dating someone like Bokuto though.”  


“What do you mean?”  


“I was always worried you would end up dating a stick in the mud and be unhappy. I think that it makes a lot of sense that you would date someone who is upbeat and does whatever he wants without always thinking it through. He probably keeps you on your toes. He isn’t anything like what kind of guys I thought you would like, Hell, I don’t think he is anything like anyone you’ve ever dated, but I think he is exactly the kind of guy you should be with.”  


Akaashi snorted and was about to retort when Bokuto finally broke through the block with an incredible cross. Akaashi screamed Bokuto’s name, joined by Haruka, Bokuto’s parents, and many other people in the stands who were there cheering for the Jackals.   


They still ended up losing the set, but Bokuto seemed to get some of his fire back. When they changed sides of the court for the next set Bokuto looked up and met his eyes again, Akaashi grinned at him and gave him two thumbs-up to encourage him.   


Akaashi didn’t rejoin his own parents for the final two sets, but rather, he stayed standing at the railing next to the Bokuto’s. When the game was finally finished Akaashi’s family came down too.   


“Ah, mom, dad, these are Bokuto’s parents.” Akaashi said, introducing the two families.   


Miriko and Kaito bowed politely, “Thank you for taking care of our son.” Miriko said, smiling brightly, “I know he can be a bit of a handful, but I’m glad he has found someone like Akaashi.”  


Akaashi’s parents did bow in return, but Akaashi suspected it was not because they wanted to, only because that was what social norms dictated. “So I take it that you’re okay with this then?”  


Miriko’s smile faltered, confusion clear as day on her face, “With what?”  


“Two men dating?”  


“I don’t- What does that have to do with anything?” Miriko asked, “I’m just happy that Koutarou is happy. No one is bothering anyone by liking the same sex.”  


Akaashi’s mom’s eyes widened and she sneered, “It’s disgusting. Unsightly. _Dishonorable _.” She huffed.  
__

__Miriko was taken aback by the venom in the woman’s voice. “I hardly think so.” She snapped back. “They’re human and they deserve respect the same as everyone else.” Kaito reached out and placed a hand on his wife’s hip, drawing himself up closer to her.  
_ _

__“If this is what you think of your own son, then it’s no wonder he didn’t want to talk about you when they spent time at our house. I rather think it’s more _unsightly and dishonorable _to be so outwardly hateful towards an entire group of people. Hating an entire group of people based on your own personal prejudice is far more _disgusting _than anything these two are doing.” Kaito said, throwing the woman’s words right back at her.  
_____ _

___Akaashi stepped between the two families, “Please stop.” He said, “First of all, we are in public.” He pointed out, “Second, my _boyfriend _is probably wondering what is taking so long. He is probably outside the gym already.”  
___ _ _

___There was a tense moment of silence before Akaashi’s parents turned sharply and started their walk out of the building. Akaashi turned towards Bokuto’s parents and sighed, “I’m sor-” Akaashi didn’t manage to get the rest of his sentence out because he was suddenly wrapped up in a strong pair of arms. He melted into the hug, hugging Miriko back.  
_ _ _

___“Don’t be sorry sweetie.” She said softly. When she pulled back she kissed Akaashi’s forehead and together they went to fetch Bokuto.  
_ _ _

___When Bokuto spotted them he ran up to them and swept Akaashi up into a kiss. Akaashi laughed into it and smiled brightly as he was set back down. “You had a good game.” Akaashi said.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto grinned back, high off the win, “Yeah, it was okay. Wish we could have won in straight sets though.” He said.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi shrugged, “They had really good defense. Sometimes that just happens.” He said, trying to head off the bad thoughts that always plagued Bokuto after the team lost a set. Even if it was just a set, Bokuto usually ended up feeling like it was his fault, especially if he was the one getting blocked out.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto nodded and leaned in to kiss his boyfriend again before they headed back to find Akaashi’s parents and sister. It was tense when they found them, and even Bokuto’s normally infectious cheer couldn’t clear the air. There were almost no words exchanged between the family members on their way back to the Akaashi household.  
_ _ _

___They were almost home when Akaashi stood up and grabbed Bokuto’s arm. “We’re leaving.” He said, “Have dinner without us. We will be home later.” He said, breaking the silence for the first time.  
_ _ _

___Haruka looked sad, but she was far from stupid, she could tell that they needed time. On top of that she also knew that Bokuto had no idea what had happened while he was waiting outside the gym. Akaashi’s parents obviously wanted to argue, but they didn’t say anything as the pair got off the train.  
_ _ _

___Once they were standing outside the train station Akaashi stopped walking and took a deep breath. Bokuto, not really knowing what was going on, but guessing that Akaashi just didn’t want to be around his parents, pulled him into a hug. “We could stay at a hotel tonight.” He offered.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi buried his face in Bokuto’s shoulder and shook his head. “That’s okay.” He said, “I’m okay.” Akaashi stepped back again and offered Bokuto a wary smile, but it wasn’t hard to see that Akaashi was holding back his tears. Bokuto nodded. “Let’s go get some food. You must be starving after your game.”  
_ _ _

___“I am.” Bokuto laughed.  
_ _ _

___  
_ _ _

___When they returned to Akaashi’s house later that night, they tried to be quiet. However, two drunk young adults tended to be far from quiet, especially if they were trying to be quiet. Akaashi giggled as Bokuto nearly fell just trying to kneel down to pull off Akaashi’s shoes, which also caused Bokuto to giggle. They made their way to Akaashi’s bedroom, but they were too busy kissing to properly watch where they were going. They accidently walked into a wall, causing Bokuto to bite Akaashi’s lip, which in turn, caused quite a bit of swearing.  
_ _ _

___Somehow they managed to make it into Akaashi’s room without running into any people. Bokuto pulled Akaashi down to the futon with him and kissed him senseless. “I should take a shower.” He said around kisses. Akaashi nodded, but he continued to kiss Bokuto and rut against him, clearly turned on. “If I shower we can fuck.” Bokuto reasoned, though he was just as swept up in making out as Akaashi was.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi pulled back and stared down at his boyfriend, who was languidly sprawled out across the futon. “That is an excellent point.” Akaashi seemed to agree. “We uh-“ Akaashi blinked hard a few times, losing track of his train of thought for a moment before he nodded to himself, “Do we have lube?” He asked, it was his childhood bedroom, but he couldn’t remember if he ever had lube when living in this house.  
_ _ _

___“I have some in my bag.” Bokuto admitted. “Come on, get up.” He said, patting Akaashi’s ass. Akaashi stumbled slightly and for one frightening moment, Bokuto thought that getting laid would be the least of his issues that night, but Akaashi managed to get himself righted before he dropped a knee on Bokuto’s groin.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto lifted himself up from the futon and dropped a kiss on Akaashi’s forehead. “Be back in a few.” He said.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi smiled and nodded, “I’m gonna go find more to drink.” He said laughing.  
_ _ _

___While Bokuto went to the bathroom to do what was necessary, Akaashi made his way to the kitchen. It didn’t take very long to find a couple bottles of sake. It was definitely higher quality than what they had been drinking and Akaashi brought them back to the bedroom. On his way there, he made a quick stop after the thought of vomiting crossed his mind, and grabbed a bucket from under the sink. When he went back to his room and tidied up the room a bit to avoid any tripping hazards and also laid their towels out on the futon to keep it clean.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto stepped back into the room roughly 30 minutes after he left and he smiled at the sight of his boyfriend sprawled out on the futon. Any time he was able to see Akaashi completely at ease was a good day. He was feeling a lot more sober after his shower, so he was more than happy to take the offered bottle. Bokuto grinned at his boyfriend and moved to straddle him. “Hey.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi offered Bokuto a dopey grin, “Hey.” He parroted, sliding his hands up Bokuto’s thighs and gripping at the muscle there. “I love you.” Akaashi said.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto snorted and leaned down to kiss his boyfriend. “I love you too Keiji.” He said. “This isn’t gonna be like the last time I tried getting laid while we were drunk, is it?” He asked. Akaashi hummed, confused. “You said you wouldn’t fuck me.” He reminded Akaashi.  
_ _ _

___“Ah, that was because it was going to be our first time together.” He sat up, forcing Bokuto to scoot back some. Akaashi wrapped his arms around Bokuto and slipped his fingers down the back of his underwear. “Now, I don’t have the same reservations.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto snorted and reached over to his bag to grab the lube, “Where do you want me?” He asked with a wicked looking grin.  
_ _ _

___  
_ _ _

___The next morning brought pain. A lot of pain. Bokuto groaned as he heard arguing outside the door. He reached for his boyfriend, but couldn’t locate him. “Keiji?” He mumbled, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. He sat up slowly and groaned at the pull in his muscles. Bokuto supposed he should have thought more about having sex after a rough match. His body hurt everywhere.  
_ _ _

___As he woke up he realized that the arguing outside his door sounded an awful lot like his boyfriend. He stood up slowly and stretched the ache out of his muscles. He located his underwear and a tank-top before sliding the door open. He looked down the hall and saw Keiji and his father. The argument looked heated.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto was nervous as he approached the pair, but Akaashi’s father cut off abruptly as he spotted him inching his way down the hallway. Bokuto offered a sheepish smile, but all he got in return was a hardened stare and a rather obvious once-over. Bokuto could not even begin to imagine what information the man gleamed from Bokuto’s half-naked state, bedhead, and probably dried lube on his thighs. He realized he probably should have just stayed in the room. “Keiji?” He said, looking at his boyfriend meaningfully, “Are you okay?”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi let out a huff of laughter and wiped at his eyes. His boyfriend looked ridiculous. If his father needed any confirmation as to what Akaashi and Bokuto had gotten up to last night, Bokuto’s appearance was that confirmation. He looked a mess, like he had a rough night. Akaashi’s lips quirked up at the corner. Bokuto looked like he got railed. “I’m fine babe.” He said, the nickname causing Bokuto to raise an eyebrow.  
_ _ _

___Wordlessly, Bokuto raised his arms in a hugging gesture. “We should probably get ready for the party.” Bokuto said. He looked at Akaashi’s father again, daring him to say anything. The older man clenched his jaw and strode away.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi hugged Bokuto, breathing in the stale scent of sex permeating him. “Thank-you.” He said.  
_ _ _

___“Babe, huh?”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi and Bokuto broke suddenly into a peel of laughter as they walked back to their shared room. When they got back to the room Akaashi opened up the windows to air the room out, it really didn’t smell that good. Then they went to get ready for the day.  
_ _ _

___When they were showered and dressed, and feeling a lot better after taking pain killers for their headaches, they walked out into the main living area to join the family.  
_ _ _

___  
_ _ _

___“Whoa.” Bokuto exclaimed as they entered a very famous hotel in the city center. The room, more like a hall than anything, was decorated and looked very expensive. “This is incredible.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi hummed and threaded his fingers into Bokuto’s. “Yeah, hopefully we don’t get kicked out.” He mused. Bokuto huffed a laugh and brought their linked hands up to kiss the back of Akaashi’s hand. It made Akaashi feel a little better. “You’re going to meet more of my family.” Akaashi said seriously.  
_ _ _

___“I know Keiji. You already told me.” Bokuto knew that Akaashi was nervous, and he felt bad because he wanted to help make him feel better, but there was no cure for this. Bokuto could say fuck them, or to not listen to what they say, but they were Akaashi’s family and no matter what he said, it would still hurt. “I’ll be on my best behavior.” He promised.  
_ _ _

___“I probably won’t.” Akaashi laughed. He grinned up at Bokuto, “Let’s dance.” Bokuto laughed as he was pulled out onto the section of floor that was cleared for just that. They weren’t the only couple out there, but pretty close. One of Akaashi’s cousins was dancing with their date and one of his aunts was dancing with his uncle, then there were some people Akaashi didn’t know, probably friends of his sisters.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto never pictured Akaashi as a dancer, but his footwork was sure. “You’re good at this.” Bokuto noted, following the steps slowly, much less sure than Akaashi had been.  
_ _ _

___“I had to take lessons when I was a kid.” He said. “I’ve probably forgotten more than I remember, but simple stuff like this I can do.” Bokuto nodded and rested his forehead against Akaashi’s shoulder. “I’m sorry that this trip has been so hard.”  
_ _ _

___“You can’t always apologize for your parents.” Bokuto answered automatically, “I want to be able to ease your pain, but I don’t think this is something that I can help with.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi huffed. “I don’t even think I would be upset if I never came home again.” He said seriously, “I mean, I haven’t really talked or seen them in any substantial amount since I graduated high school.” He paused for a moment, “They didn’t even come to see me graduate university.” He whispered.  
_ _ _

___“We can’t help the family we’re born to.” Bokuto said, straightening up and staring at Akaashi. He smiled weakly, “I wish I could have been there for such an important event.”  
_ _ _

___“Hmm, I’m glad we met when we did though.” Akaashi answered, probably ready to drop the topic of his parents despite bringing it up himself. “I didn’t go for guys like you when I was in University.”  
_ _ _

___“Oya? What kind of guys did you go for?” He asked.  
_ _ _

___“Scumbags.” He said, laughing self-depreciatingly. “People who I should definitely not have associated with.” Bokuto knew that wasn’t entirely true because he knew from stories that Akaashi’s roommate had been an amazing guy. He also knew that Akaashi had really liked him. So the scumbags must have just been the people Akaashi went out with and felt that he, himself, had deserved. A far cry from the truth, but that was not an argument Bokuto was willing to have.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto hummed, “Well, then I’m glad we met when we did too.” He said.  
_ _ _

___They danced for a while as the hall filled up, they felt like they were in their own little bubble. They chatted idly, constantly learning more and more about each other. It was something Bokuto loved about their relationship, neither of them felt the need to know everything about the other right off the bat. They were more than willing to take their time learning about one another.  
_ _ _

___As far as baby showers in Japan went, this one went decently. It was a little awkward when Haruka started opening presents in front of people, it wasn’t really the Japanese way of doing things. She only got three presents open before deciding that it was better to open the rest at home. Luckily, Haruka had been adamant with her friend, no huge cake. There was a small selection of Japanese deserts instead of a huge cake like they would have in America.  
_ _ _

___Haruka made sure to properly thank everyone for attending as they exited the party, alongside her husband Jun. Bokuto and Akaashi hung back some, waiting for the guests to finish filing out so they could also leave. Bokuto leaned against Akaashi, drained from meeting so many new people. “I don’t think your grandmother liked me.”  
_ _ _

___“She’s old-fashioned, like my parents.” He said. “I actually don’t like her either.” He chuckled. “She’s a mean woman. I’ve never liked her.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto nodded, “What about your aunt?”  
_ _ _

___“Which one?”  
_ _ _

___“Tall, long-faced.”  
_ _ _

___“Oh, she liked you.” Akaashi answered. Bokuto nodded, at least someone at the party liked him. “I think a lot of Haruka’s friends liked you too.”  
_ _ _

___“You think?”  
_ _ _

___“Well the American definitely did. I thought she was going to ask you out before I could say you were mine.” He laughed.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto snorted. “I am, aren’t I?”  
_ _ _

___“Am what?”  
_ _ _

___“Yours.” Bokuto answered, pressing a chaste kiss to Akaashi’s mouth.  
_ _ _

___Someone cleared their throat to the side and they broke off the already too-short kiss and glanced over at Akaashi’s cousin. Akaashi blinked in surprise, he had fully expected it to be one of his parents. “Hey.” Bokuto said grinning wide.  
_ _ _

___She bowed politely, “Bokuto-san.” She said, positively beaming, “Keiji-kun.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi nodded, “Hina-chan.” Akaashi responded, smiling at the teenager. “Can we help you with something?”  
_ _ _

___The young girl looked behind her, probably trying to gauge how much time she had before it was her turn to say goodbye. “I just wanted to say that you’re really brave. Both of you.” She looked between them, “I saw your interview on TV, it was incredible too see you so casual about your sexuality.” She said, “And Keiji-kun, I can’t even imagine what it was like for you to tell your parents that you were gay.” She gushed, “Our family is so old-fashioned.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto smiled and let go off Akaashi to offer her a hug, which she accepted. “You’ll find your courage one day too.” He assured her, giving her a huge squeeze before letting her go. She beamed up at them before hugging Akaashi too. Akaashi was surprised would have lost his balance if it weren’t for the steadying hand on his lower back.  
_ _ _

___She pulled back with wet eyelashes. “You’re inspiring Bokuto-san. Please keep talking about it. It needs to be talked about and who better to start the conversation than famous people.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto raised a brow, but was grinning. “I’m hardly famous.” He laughed.  
_ _ _

___“Well, if people like sports you’re famous.” She shrugged, “You’re a great player.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto was about to retort when the girl was called by her mom, “Bye! I was nice meeting you.” Bokuto said grinning. The girl waved as she walked back to her mother’s side so they could leave. “Wow. She thinks I’m famous.” Bokuto mused.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi snorted. “You are.” He said seriously, though he had a bemused smile on his lips. “You’re a great player. Oh, can you remind me to talk to Maya about something when we go back home?”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto raised an eyebrow and nodded, “Sure, what about?”  
_ _ _

___“You’ll see.”  
_ _ _

___  
_ _ _

___Eventually, they made it back to the house and both Bokuto and Akaashi were grateful for the peace of stepping into Akaashi’s room. Bokuto dropped himself down on the futon and looked up at Akaashi. He watched as Akaashi stripped out of the formal attire and pulled on running shorts. He turned towards Bokuto, “Let’s go for a run, we didn’t get to this morning on account of being hungover.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto jumped up and grinned, “Yeah!” He was quick to change from his own formal clothes to running gear. When they stepped out of the room they nearly ran right into Akaashi’s mom.  
_ _ _

___“Where are you going? Dinner is going to be served soon.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi hummed, “We are just going running.” He said, sliding past her. “We won’t be gone that long.” Bokuto followed Akaashi’s lead, slipping past Akaashi’s mom. They made their way to the genkan to slip into their running shoes.  
_ _ _

___They decided to jog rather than run, so they could chat while they worked out. “Keiji, I’ve been thinking about something lately.” Bokuto started nervously. Akaashi hummed, encouraging him to continue. “Well, I’m 24 already. That means I’ve probably only got 5 or 6 years left of my career.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi furrowed his brows, “Is that the average age of retirement?” He asked.  
_ _ _

___“Yeah, I found out most athletes retire before they hit 30 years old.” Bokuto said, “It was in a magazine talking about how a lot of Japanese athletes don’t know what to do after they can no longer play the sport. So I’ve been trying to figure out what I should do with myself.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi slowed to a stop and looked at his boyfriend. “Well, you have some time to figure it out, but I could also get you an actual paid job at the sanctuary. Probably.” He laughed, “I could try now, but I don’t think that the owner will go for it with how much time you need off for volleyball.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto thought about it for a moment, “That could work. You’ll support me in my old age right?” He joked, picking up the pace to a jog again.  
_ _ _

___“Of course.” Akaashi answered with a chuckle, “We will be living together after all.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto grinned and laughed loudly, “I can’t wait.”  
_ _ _

___Before long their run came to an end and they were walking back along the snow covered streets. “I’m glad we’re going home soon.” Akaashi said.  
_ _ _

___“Me too. I miss the birds.” He said with a grin.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi rolled his eyes but leaned into his boyfriend’s space to kiss him. “I miss being able to kiss you whenever and wherever I want.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto laughed into the kiss before they made their way back to the house.  
_ _ _

___  
_ _ _

___Their flight left early the next day and on their way out they made sure to say goodbye to Haruka and Jun, but they didn’t bother waking Akaashi’s parents. They made their way to the airport and had a relaxing journey home. They parted ways at the airport, each going to their own apartments.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto hummed as he unlocked the door to his apartment. “I’m home!” He called.  
_ _ _

___“We’re in the living room!” He heard Kuroo call back. Bokuto dropped his luggage off in his room before stepping into the living room. “Welcome back, how was your trip?” Kuroo asked, he had only been able to gleam a little bit of information about it during the volleyball game, but what he had heard wasn’t great.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto groaned and pushed Kenma’s feet off the couch so he could sit, getting a glare from the smaller man when the sudden movement made him lose a life. “Akaashi’s parents are harsh man.” He said. “They totally shit all over the fact that I live with people. Saying that as an adult I should be able to support myself financially.”  
_ _ _

___“Bro, you totally could support yourself.”  
_ _ _

___“I know!” Bokuto exclaimed, “Akaashi told me it really wasn’t that they disapproved of my profession or of me in general. It was really just because they’re prejudiced.” Bokuto sighed. “And I get that. In my head I understand that is what is happening, but it still sucks to hear them talk shit about everything we did.”  
_ _ _

___Kuroo nodded in understanding, after all his coming out was not well received either. Eventually Kuroo and his parents came to some sort of peace treaty, but it still was less than stellar.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto explained everything that Akaashi had told him about the altercation at the game and about them ditching Akaashi’s parents to go out for dinner and drinks. “Haruka said that we were far from quiet when we got back.” He laughed. “So that was probably what ‘Kaashi and his dad were arguing about when I woke up. And I totally went to go ask him if he was okay, but I didn’t really think about how fucked I looked. So he totally saw me all sexed up.”  
_ _ _

___Kuroo howled with laughter at the excited retelling.  
_ _ _

___“Oh man, you should have seen his face when he looked me over. I had lube literally dried on my thighs.”  
_ _ _

___“This is why we can’t take you anywhere bro.” Kuroo said, still snickering. “I’m glad you’re getting dicked down on the regular, but damn, talk about bad timing.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto agreed and they fell into companionable silence as he TV played some cooking show that Bokuto wasn’t paying attention too. Occasionally, Kuroo would ask another question about his trip, causing Bokuto to launch into another story of their trip. Bokuto would miss his friends when they moved away, there was no doubt about it. “You should come to the sanctuary at least once before you leave.” Bokuto said.  
_ _ _

___Kuroo raised his eyebrows and turned his attention back to his friend. “Yeah? I never really thought about it, but I guess it would be pretty cool to go see this thing that has changed your life so immensely.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto grinned and whipped out his phone to text Akaashi to ask if it would be okay for Kuroo and Kenma, if he wanted to go, to come to the sanctuary with him. Of course, Akaashi said yes, they just weren’t allowed to touch the birds.  
_ _ _


	12. Chapter Twelve

“I gotta admit Brokuto, this is pretty cool.” Kuroo said, looking around.  


Bokuto nodded, “Keiji?” He waited until he had Akaashi’s attention before asking if he could hold Peanut Butter.  


“You can hold them?” Kuroo asked, eyes wide.   


“Just one of them.” Bokuto said, he got the affirmative from Akaashi and he made his way over to grab the large glove and make his way to the aviary. “Well, just one of them without supervision. ‘Kaashi will sometimes let me hold them while he’s doing stuff, but these birds are dangerous.” He spotted Peanut Butter and grinned, “Keiji lets me hold this one because he can’t fly and he was brought in when he was a baby so he’s really well trained.” Bokuto clicked his tongue and brought the large owl onto his arm. Bokuto had sent a photo of him holding the bird to Kuroo before, it was also the background on Akaashi’s phone, but Kuroo thought it had been a one-time thing. He smiled and followed Bokuto’s lead when he showed him how the bird liked to be pet, laughing when he elicited a soft hoot.   


“This is super cool bro.” Kuroo said. “I’m not surprised you spend so much time here now.” He laughed.   


“It isn’t all glorious work.” Akaashi said from behind them, transporting another bird into the aviary. “Bokuto does clean up a lot of bird shit.” He said chuckling.   


Bokuto shrugged, “It’s worth it.”  


They both ended up staying until the end of Akaashi’s shift, and Kenma and Hinata joined them about a half hour before it was time for Akaashi to leave, apparently they had been spending the day together. Unsurprisingly, Hinata thought it was just about the coolest thing since volleyball and he was just as excited and all over the place as Bokuto had been on his first visit to the sanctuary. Bokuto had ended up having to take charge of the cleaning and the tour for his friends though, due to an injured bird coming in and Akaashi having to take care of it.   


At the end of his shift Akaashi shooed everyone out of the place and they started walking towards the train station together, ready to eat after a long day of bird handling. “I don’t think that place has ever been cleaner.” Akaashi laughed, somehow everyone had been more than willing to help Bokuto clean-up, which lead to Bokuto crossing more things off the list than normal. Everything looked more pristine than ever.   


  


It was several days later when Akaashi met Sugawara. Bokuto and Akaashi had been at the sanctuary, like they normally were when Bokuto wasn’t at practice or the gym. Bokuto was halfway inside one of the large cages, cleaning it, meanwhile Akaashi had sat down to do some physical therapy with one of the birds. They both jumped slightly when they heard a voice call from the entryway. They looked at each other for a moment before Bokuto got up. “I’ll go greet them while you put the bird back.” He said, smiling easily. He stepped out and saw the young man standing there. “Hello!” He greeted.  


The other man smiled brightly at Bokuto, “Hello, my name is Sugawara Koushi.” He said, bowing.  


“Ah! I’m Bokuto Koutarou!” He said bowing back. “Can we help you with something?” He asked.  


Sugawara hummed, “I hope so.” He said, he was about to continue when Akaashi stepped into the room with them. “Oh hello.” He said, going through the whole process of exchanging names again.  


“I am the main caretaker and veterinarian here.” Akaashi said.   


Sugawara nodded and handed him a small card with his contact information on it. “I’m an elementary school teacher.” Sugawara explained, “And we just started talking about animal science. I wanted to teach my students about animals and the dangers of industrialization on the bird populations in Japan. I wanted to know if I would be able to bring them here.” Sugawara looked between the two faces and smiled, “For a tour.” He clarified, when there was still no immediate response, he raised a brow. “So they can learn more about birds and see them up close?”  


Akaashi took a deep breath, “We don’t normally do tours.” He said, “We do occasionally bring the birds out to events, though most of our birds aren’t trained for handling since they are rescues.” Akaashi explained a bit more about how the process worked, but Bokuto mostly tuned it out. He knew this guy from somewhere, but he couldn’t really remember where.  


“Ah! You’re for Karasuno!” He shouted, finally figuring it out.  


Sugawara looked up and smiled, “I haven’t heard that name in a while.” He laughed, “Yes. We went to the same training camp.” Sugawara said.   


“Why didn’t you say something earlier if you recognized me?” Bokuto pouted, feeling bad for taking so long to figure it out.  


Sugawara shrugged, but smiled, “I wasn’t sure you would remember me, it’s been like 6 years since we last saw each other, almost 7.”  


“So?” Bokuto grinned and looked at his boyfriend, who was watching on, but too polite to interrupt. “Or schools attended the same training camps for our third year in high school. Man, you guys sucked.” He said with a laugh.  


Sugawara laughed lightly, “We were great, you guys were just better. Anyway, I would really like to know about bringing the kids here one day.” Not trying to brush Bokuto off, but he didn’t want to get distracted from his mission here in the first place.  


Akaashi hummed, “Well, I have to call the owner and get permission, but I could let you know.” He said. Akaashi walked over to the small desk and pulled out a piece of scrap paper. He jotted down a quick message before looking at Sugawara again, “What’s your number? And what day did you want to do it?” As Akaashi gathered the information from Sugawara, Bokuto pulled out his phone and texted Kuroo about the coincidence.  


Just before Sugawara was about to leave Bokuto smiled at him, “Hey, I know this is out of the blue, but did you wanna get dinner?”  


Sugawara glanced at him and narrowed his eyes, thinking, “I’m in a relationship.” He said, slowly, clearly unsure about if he was being asked out on a date.  


Bokuto blinked at him for a second before both Akaashi and Bokuto started laughing, hard. “No, no.” Bokuto said, straightening himself up, “So am I. I meant to catch up. You can bring your partner.” He said, donning an easy smile once more.  


Sugawara was a little embarrassed about reading the situation wrong, but he nodded. “Sure, but not tonight, Daichi is working late.”  


Bokuto snorted, “Captain?” When Sugawara just nodded Bokuto laughed again, “Alright, I’ll text you and we can set something up.” He said. He turned back to Akaashi, “Daichi was the captain, and they were Tsukishima and Yamaguchi’s upperclassmen.” He explained.  


Akaashi laughed too, “Small world.” He mused. “I’m going to call my boss, then maybe I can give Sugawara an answer when we meet up for dinner.” He said, pulling out his cell phone and stepping outside.  


Bokuto hummed to himself and went back to work on cleaning the cages.  


  


It only ended up being a few days later when Bokuto and Akaashi met up with Daichi and Sugawara. Bokuto looked over his shoulder when Akaashi’s steps faltered next to him. “Keiji?” He asked, they were still a few feet from the entrance and Bokuto was worried because, very suddenly, Akaashi looked like he saw a ghost.   


“I need to talk to you before we go in.” Akaashi said seriously, his gaze locked on Sugawara and Daichi, who were standing outside the restaurant, chatting softly with each other.  


“But, they’re here already.” Bokuto was about to wave when he was pulled into a small alleyway next to the restaurant. “Hey, what is it?” He asked, his voice laced with concern at the pallor of his boyfriends face.   


Akaashi took a deep breath and hugged Bokuto, it surprised him, but he hugged back, his concern mounting. “I thought it was just a coincidence.” He mumbled against the skin of Bokuto’s neck. “But, now that I’ve seen Sugawara’s partner, I know it isn’t.”  


“What?” Bokuto questioned, clearly confused. He pushed back gently on Akaashi’s shoulders until he could see his face again. “What is going on babe?”  


Akaashi broke their eye contact and fiddled with his fingers where they lay still around Bokuto’s neck. “Daichi. Sawamura is his family name.” Akaashi took another steadying breath. “He was my roommate in university.”  


Bokuto stared at Akaashi for a second, letting the words wash over him. It hit him like a ton of bricks. The roommate. Akaashi had feelings for him back in school. Not even that long ago honestly. “Oh.” Bokuto muttered.   


Akaashi looked worried, “I promise, I don’t have feelings for him anymore, I just didn’t want it to surprise you when he recognized me.” He said quickly, earnest but maybe a bit defensive.  


Bokuto nodded, rubbing his hands up and down Akaashi’s arms. “Hey, hey,” He mumbled to get Akaashi to look at him again. Once he had the eye contact he leaned in for a quick, soft, loving kiss. “I know. I believe you.” He said. He smiled. “I trust you. I mean you’ve been very understanding with my relationship with Kuroo, I can extend you the same trust.”  


Suddenly, Akaashi sagged with relief. Internally, he knew that he had nothing to worry about the second that he saw his old roommate, but he also knew how feelings were. They were messy and sometimes unresolved things had a way of creeping back up. He loved Bokuto, but at one point, hadn’t he felt something similar for the other man as well? He pushed his forehead against Bokuto’s chest even though it caused his glasses to dig uncomfortably into his nose. “I love you.” He mumbled, leaning up to kiss Bokuto again. “So much.”  


Bokuto grinned, “Well, I think we’re probably late now.” He laughed, tugging Akaashi with him out onto the sidewalk again.   


  


Bokuto laughed boisterously at Daichi’s animated retelling of one of the many adventures that Akaashi and Daichi had gotten involved in during their stay at university. Akaashi laughed along, glad to see his boyfriend so happy at the stupid things they had done. Bokuto grinned, “I love hearing about this shit.” He said, “I never went to University because I just went pro, but sometimes these stories make me wish I did just to have something to talk about at parties.”   


Akaashi snorted, “You do plenty of stupid stuff with Kuroo, without having gone to University.”  


Bokuto huffed, “Don’t act like you haven’t been part of some of my crazy shenanigans.” He said, grabbing Akaashi’s hand under the table. They had finished their food a while ago and where simply enjoying a few drinks by this point. They even got all the planning ironed out for Sugawara to bring the students from the school. “But wait, if you two have been dating since High school, why didn’t Keiji meet Suga in the three years you were roomed together?” He inquired, genuinely curious.   


“Ah, I stayed in Miyagi for University.” Sugawara answered. “We did the long distance thing. It sucked. I don’t recommend it.”  


Bokuto raised his brows and nodded. “I don’t think I could do it.” He said. “I would try, I don’t want you to think I wouldn’t try to make it work Keiji, but that’s a lot of travel to see each other.” He said. “I bet it was a relief when you got a job here.”  


Akaashi rolled his eyes affectionately. “It certainly would be hard. I think short term we would be fine, but long term, that would be hard.” He mused. “I mean, you already travel a lot for work as it is.”  


Sugawara chuckled and looked at his boyfriend, “Sometimes it still feels like we have a long distance relationship.” He grumbled.  


Daichi huffed, “I’m trying to get on day shifts.” He said, tugging at Sugawara’s hair affectionately. It was obvious that this was a conversation that the pair had many times before. “I don’t get to be on days until one of the officers on days switches or steps down. It sucks being the new guy.” He said.  


“Wait, I totally never thought of this before,” Bokuto started, “But why did you get a roommate? Don’t most university students just get their own apartment?” He asked.  


Akaashi hummed, “Yeah most do. But I had just been cut off from my family because of the whole gay thing, so I put out an advert and Daichi responded.”  


“It was posted in an online LGBT+ group, so I responded knowing that I could get an understanding roommate and since I wanted to save up money, having a roommate was economical.” Daichi added.  


“Oh, that’s good thinking.” Bokuto said.   


By the end of their dinner, everyone had exchanged numbers and promised to hang out more. Sugawara and Bokuto headed out of the restaurant a few steps ahead of Akaashi and Daichi, giving them a moment to themselves.  


As they stepped out into the chilly February air they paused, waiting for the other two. Sugawara looked a Bokuto with a soft smile, “He seems very nice.” Sugawara said.  


Bokuto looked at him and smiled, “Well I sure think so. He’s just about one of the best people to enter my life… ever. Daichi is pretty nice too, has been since High School. Sometimes I wish Akaashi and I met earlier so that we could be together for longer, but Akaashi assures me I wouldn’t have been his type in the past.” He chuckled.   


Sugawara hummed, “Mm, I’m glad I met Daichi when I did, but being so young when we started dating comes with its own host of issues. We actually did break up for a short while when in university. The long distance was killing our relationship. Soon enough though, we decided that it hurt worse to not date at all then to put in the effort to make it work. Oh, but speaking of that, I hope it doesn’t worry you at all, the fact that Akaashi used to like Daichi.”   


Bokuto scratched the back of his neck and sighed, “Ah, you knew about that?” He asked, getting a knowing look in return. “Nah. Not really. Akaashi is a pretty loyal guy.” He said, “I know he loves me and I highly doubt that a reunion now would really rekindle those feelings.” He explained. “Besides if Akaashi can deal with the way my best friend and I hang all over each other, then I can deal with Akaashi becoming friends again with someone who he used to like.” He laughed. “People have ex-partners and ex-crushes; that is just something that adults have to deal with when courting, right?”  


Sugawara grinned wide and laughed, slapping Bokuto on the back, “You’ve really grown up since High School huh?” He laughed. “Is this best friend Kuroo? I remember you two being very close.”  


“Yeah. We’ve been living together since we moved out here. He’s been a huge help and poor Akaashi sat right next to me the last time we had too much to drink and Kuroo kissed me.” He laughed, “I mean, he did it on accident, he was aiming for my cheek, but still, Akaashi didn’t say anything.” He grinned and waved at Akaashi as the other two finally started for the door, apparently having settled the bill and whatever lingering feelings that may have needed to be talked over.  


“Put your scarf on properly.” Akaashi admonished as he stepped out, reaching out to tie it properly.   


“I love you too.” Bokuto grinned.   


  


Sugawara and Akaashi had decided on a day later the following week for the students to come to the sanctuary to check out the birds. Any of the birds that Akaashi was worried would be too scared or that it might have an otherwise negative impact on were released into the outdoor aviary for the afternoon. It was still winter, and Akaashi tended to prefer the indoor aviary to keep the birds warm, but he also knew they would be okay outside for a few hours.   


Bokuto had tried to feign innocence when he showed up, “Oh is that today?” He asked, blinking at Akaashi as if he hadn’t been right next to Akaashi when they had been planning it.   


It ended up being one of the best things that could have happened to the tour though. Bokuto’s magnetic personally immediately drew the kids in, and despite his goofy looks and his lack of math skills, Bokuto wasn’t stupid by any stretch of the imagination. He just had trouble focusing sometimes. However, he derailed the tour in the best way possible. He spoke animatedly about the birds, and because he had been around helping out, he was familiar with all their names and how they came to live with them.   


He spoke more at length about owls, of course, they were his favorite, but he knew a lot about the other birds too. The kids were enthralled. They were enraptured with the facts as well as the way Bokuto presented them. Akaashi and Sugawara ended up hanging towards the back of the group and watching.   


“Bokuto –senpai!” One of the kids interrupted. “If owls really can fly completely silent, then why can I hear that one flap his wings right now?”  


Bokuto grinned at the question, “That’s actually the sound of his wings brushing against his body, not the sound of the air going through the wings.” He said, answering a few more questions about the mechanics of silent flight, before moving on to talk about their diet.   


Sugawara looked at Akaashi, “You know. If Bokuto hadn’t become a professional volleyball player, he would make one hell of a teacher.”  


Akaashi blinked, thinking about it for a second. “Huh. You’re right.” He hummed, “Do you think it would be too late for him to go back to school now?”   


Sugawara shrugged. “I mean, I don’t see why not. But I think he would end up having too many commitments on his plate.” He chuckled. “I mean, volleyball, a relationship, working here. That’s basically two full-time jobs and a hell of a lot of travelling.” He said. “Plus he would have to pass the entrance exams.”  


Akaashi nodded, “Yeah, but once Bokuto has the determination to do something, he is pretty good at doing it.”  


“Yeah I guess, but isn’t his main focus volleyball?”  


“For now, eventually he has to retire.”  


“Oh yeah.” Sugawara thought about it. “Well, if he wants it, I can give him a recommendation if he ends up going that route.”   


Akaashi smiled and nodded before moving back up to the front of the group to help Bokuto get Peanut Butter back in the cage. He did not want to go.  


  


When Bokuto and Akaashi returned to Akaashi’s apartment that night, Bokuto basically collapsed on the couch. “Whew!” Akaashi chuckled at him and moved to make them some tea. When Akaashi joined Bokuto in the living room they smiled at each other and put on a movie, relaxing into one another after a long day.   


After a few moments of silence, Akaashi broke it. “Sugawara and I were talking today.” He started. Bokuto hummed to let Akaashi know he was paying attention even though his eyes were closed and Akaashi was certain that he would be asleep soon. “You know how we were talking about your impeding retirement back on vacation? Well today when we were watching you with the kids, we thought that maybe working with kids would be a good line of work for you.”  


He felt Bokuto shift and watched as he sat up to meet Akaashi’s eyes. “You think so?” He asked. “I mean, I really liked it, but I didn’t go to college or anything. Don’t you have to be educated?”  


Akaashi hummed and turned so that they were facing each other on the couch. “I don’t know if you have to be educated for coaching, but if you wanted to become a teacher you would need to go back to school.”  


Bokuto wrinkled his nose, but he thought about it seriously, “What would I even teach?” He asked.  


Akaashi snorted, “Well, I was thinking that you would be a great gym teacher. And you have no shortage of experience with sports.”  


Bokuto leaned back, “All right, I’ll think about it.” He said. He trusted Akaashi’s judgement, but he still wanted to talk to Kuroo about it, and to think it through properly. It wouldn’t do him any good to rush headlong into something like this. “If I do, you’ll help me study right? I never did get good grades.”  


Akaashi hummed with a wry smile on his face. “Of course I will Koutarou. But I have to warn you, I am a merciless teacher.”  


  


When Bokuto got back to his own apartment it was late and he was surprised to see Kuroo sitting in the living room. “Hey.” He greeted, curling up with Kuroo to watch whatever sappy movie was on the TV.   


Kuroo looked over at Bokuto, but wordlessly lifted his arm to let him slide into his space. He rested his head on the top of Bokuto’s head as they watched in silence.  


It wasn’t until the end of the movie that Bokuto bothered to break their silence. “What’s up?” He asked, “You’re quiet, and awake.” He chuckled.  


Kuroo shrugged and sat himself up straight. “Not too much. Kenma kicked me out of the room.” He said as he laughed mirthlessly. “We got into a fight earlier.”  


Bokuto nodded and nudged Kuroo with his arm. “You guys always make up, I wouldn’t worry about it.” He said, offering his best friend a soft smile. “You can sleep in my room if you want.” He said, knowing that the couch was a less than desirable place to sleep.   


“While I would love to sleep with you-“ He laughed, “I think I should probably give Kenma less reason to be mad at me, not more.”   


Bokuto shrugged, “Come on, Kenma knows we’re totally platonic.” He grinned. “Besides, you’re moving out soon and I miss my best friend.”  


Kuroo rolled his eyes and stood up, “Alright, come on.”  


  


Once they were settled into the bed, both somehow fitting while laying on their backs, though Bokuto felt like he was going to fall out if he moved. Kuroo shifted and tugged Bokuto more onto the bed. “So what happened?” Bokuto asked.  


Kuroo pursed his lips and turned to look at Bokuto, “I wanted Kenma to give therapy a try.” He said. “I know I can’t force him to do anything, but I hate to see him struggling with his depression and anxiety when we know that therapy works.” He grumbled.  


Bokuto hummed. “You’re right that you can’t force him.” He said, “I wanted Akaashi to give it a try too. Luckily it hasn’t become a huge fight or anything, but I also think his mental state is a little better.” He explained, “I can talk to Kenma if you want.”   


Kuroo shook his head, “Nah, it is what it is. Hopefully I’ll be able to convince him someday, but I don’t want him to freak out because I’m complaining to you either.” He said. “I’m just so scared that I’m going to lose him.”  


“Do you think he’s suicidal?” Bokuto asked in a surprised whisper, turning his head to look at Kuroo with wide eyes.  


Kuroo took a deep breath, “I—I don’t think so.” He answered truthfully. “It’s his business, so I don’t wanna get to into it.” He said, “Just, I am worried. I think the move is stressing him out more than he is letting on. I think it’s killing him that we’re going to be moving away from his family and friends.”  


Bokuto nodded, “I know it sucks, but you can’t help him if he doesn’t want to help himself.” He said, “I also know that it can be hard to have these conversations without getting emotional, but bro, you gotta try and keep calm. Bring it up as long as you’re worried.” He had fought with Kuroo before. It was inevitable. People always fight when they live together or just know each other long enough. Usually it was never anything serious, but if it was he knew how Kuroo was when he was worked up. He wrapped his arms around his friend and rubbed his back. “At least he tells you when he is feeling down. At least most of the time. Akaashi likes to pretend everything is fine.”  


Kuroo chuckled and nodded pressing his face into Bokuto’s neck. “You’re right. I know I should be grateful for that much, but ya’know? When I think about how much happier I think he could be… It makes me not want to move.” He sighed. “He’s always so happy when him and Hinata get to hang out, even though he always comes home complaining about feeling like he spent too long in the sun. Now I’m taking that away from him.”   


“You act like Hinata isn’t going to visit. Or like you’re not going to visit. Or like Kenma isn’t going to make new friends.” Bokuto said. “Besides, you asked Kenma for his input and he agreed to move with you. Quit acting like you’re forcing him.”  


Kuroo pouted and pulled himself off the bed, raking his fingers through his gnarled hair. “You sound like Kenma.” He snorted. He thanked Bokuto before getting ready to leave. “Wait. Didn’t you want to talk about something?”  


Bokuto furrowed his brow, “How’d you know?”  


“You only give good advice when you’re thinking hard about something else.”  


“Rude.”  


Kuroo leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms. “Well?”  


Bokuto sat up and smiled, “Well, I was reading a magazine the other day and it said that the average age of retirement for a professional volleyball player was 30. So I started thinking that I should probably figure out what I’m going to do in 6 years when I need to step down.”  


Kuroo nodded, “That’s reasonable. Did you just want my opinion on what you should do?” He asked.  


“Not really, more like I wanted your opinion on what Akaashi said.”  


“Okay, what did he say?”  


“Teacher?” Bokuto said, completely unsure. “I mean, I like kids, sure, but I don’t think I’m smart enough to teach them.”  


Kuroo hummed and moved to sit back down on the edge of the bed. “I think it’s a good idea.” He said. “You’d have to go back to school though. That’s going to be a lot harder now that you’re older. I know you were pretty shit at studying in high school, but you will still have forgotten a lot of stuff in the last 6 years.” He explained. “Though I’m sure you know that.”   


Bokuto nodded. “Yeah, I mean, Akaashi said that he was willing to help me study for the entrance exams and Suga said that he would give me a recommendation, but what if I can’t do it?”  


Kuroo rolled his eyes, “Well. Then you find another job. Or fall back on coaching. You don’t need to go back to school to become a coach in a sport you play professionally. I bet a ton of schools would love to hire someone like you.”  


“Thanks Kuroo.” Bokuto said. “I trust Akaashi’s judgement, of course, but I mean. You have known me longer.” He said, “I figured that if anyone would know if it was a good fit, it would be you.”   


Kuroo grinned and stood back up, “Alright, I’m going to go ask Kenma for forgiveness and you should go to sleep.”   



	13. Chapter Thirteen

When mid-March rolled around, Bokuto realized that he would have only a month left before Kuroo left and he stopped staying with Akaashi so often. He missed the lazy mornings when Akaashi didn’t have work, but after about a week of not staying with him, he ended up just asking Akaashi to stay with him instead. “Welcome!” Kuroo grinned, opening the door to allow Akaashi to step through the threshold.  


“Thank-you Kuroo-san.” Akaashi said, pushing his shoes off his feet and stepping into the slightly messy apartment. As it got closer to the date that Kuroo and Kenma moved out, the more boxes stacked up by the door. So far, there weren’t that many because they still had a few weeks left in this apartment, but they had packed up some of their clothes and kitchenware that isn’t used so often, opting instead to eat take-out or simple dishes.  


He walked to Bokuto’s room and didn’t bother knocking before stepping inside. “Oh.” He said, “Sorry.” Bokuto was in the middle of getting dressed when he walked in, but he just kept going, both of them comfortable with each other at this stage of their relationship.   


Bokuto shrugged and smiled at his boyfriend, “You look good.” He said, tugging his shirt on over his head and straightening out his hair.  


Akaashi hummed. “You too. Where are we going again?” He asked, trying to look up the restaurant menu on his phone.   


Bokuto answered him and together they pre-decided what they were going to eat so they didn’t take so long once they arrived. They started doing that once they realized that they took an atrocious amount of time trying to order at restaurants, usually too involved in their conversations to bother looking at the menu until the waiter or waitress had come around a second or third time. Once they decided on their meal, they still had over an hour before they actually had to leave, so they all sat around in the living room watching an awful comedy show that Kuroo loved.   


  


“Kuroo-san, did you call my friend in Kyoto?” Akaashi asked.  


Kuroo nodded, “Yeah. He’s gonna take us around to look at apartments in like 2 weeks I think.” He answered.  


“We’re going to spend the weekend there to make sure we have enough time to look around and decide on something. We’re actually going to look at houses too, but there is the possibility that those might be outside our price range.” Kenma offered.  


Akaashi smiled and nodded, about to answer when his phone rang. “Oh, excuse me a moment.” He said. He stood and walked to the kitchen to answer the call.   


When he returned he had an apologetic look on his face. “Sorry.” He started, “There was an emergency at the shelter and I won’t be able to attend the dinner tonight.” He said as he wandered back into the living room.   


“Do you want me to go with you?” Bokuto asked, already halfway to standing.  


“No, no, I can handle it. Enjoy your dinner.” He said. He kissed Bokuto briefly before taking his leave.   


Bokuto stared at the door for a second before sighing and flopping back on the couch. “I hate when he gets called in.” Bokuto pouted. It didn’t happen all that often, less than one would have expected seeing as he was the only vet on staff, but that didn’t mean it didn’t suck when they had to cancel plans because of it.   


“You know…” Kuroo started. “You don’t have to go with us to dinner if you’d rather be with Akaashi.”   


  


Akaashi got to the shelter quickly after leaving Bokuto and greeted the person there, she looked a little freaked out. “Hey Yachi.” He said softly, trying to sooth her nerves.  


“Akaashi-san!” She wailed, glad that someone who could actually do something was there. “I sedated the bird, but I don’t think there is anything else I can do.” She said, quickly explaining that someone had just dropped the bird off saying that it had flown into their window.  


Akaashi was quick to calm her down, giving her some other tasks to do to get her mind off the bird. “I’ll let you know if I need anything.” He said, offering her a soft smile before walking into the examination room.   


The bird was in rough shape, and Akaashi was pretty positive that the bird had not flown into a window. He did x-rays on the unconscious bird and found systematic injuries. He took a deep breath as he took in how severely the bird’s injuries were. He poked his head back out into the main area. “Yachi?”  


“Yes Akaashi-san?” She said, standing up suddenly like Akaashi had scared her.  


“Did the people dropping the bird off leave any information?” He asked.   


Yachi shook her head. “No. They seemed like they really just wanted to leave.”  


Akaashi opened his mouth to respond when he heard a knocking on the front door. Usually the front door was locked afterhours, but there was always someone there in the event that there was an emergency.  


“I’ll get it.” Yachi said.   


  


A few moments later Akaashi heard a familiar voice and shook his head, a soft smile playing on his lips as he realized that Bokuto must not have gone to the dinner after all. He washed his hands and stepped back out. “Hello Koutarou.” He said, getting his attention.   


“Keiji!” He cheered, “I brought food!” He said. “Yachi you can have some too.”  


Akaashi rolled his eyes, “I still have to take care of the bird, so I will join you soon.”  


Bokuto hummed, “You need help?” He asked.  


“Not today.” He answered, knowing that it would break Bokuto’s heart to see the bird in such a state. He was still unsure of if he would even be able to save it.   


  


He worked in silence for some time before Bokuto poked his head into the room. “The foods going to get cold.” He mumbled, his eyes dropping to the bird. “He looks like he’s had it rough.” He stepped further into the room, closing the door behind him.  


Akaashi hummed, “You probably don’t want to see this.” He said, wanting to spare the heartache he could already see on Bokuto’s face.  


“You probably don’t either.” He pointed out. “You looked sad earlier, so I thought I would check on you.”  


Akaashi took a deep breath and nodded, “Thank you.” He said. Once Bokuto had walked up to the table Akaashi looked over at him to see his reaction. He looked sad, but he would be okay.   


“What happened?” He asked, stepping back to wash his hands and put on an apron to be a little more sanitary.  


“A lot. Too much probably.” He said. “I might have to put him down.”  


Bokuto returned to Akaashi’s side after a moment, “Well, even if you do, we all know that you did your best.”  


Akaashi pulled out the x-rays, pointing out the different injuries in different stages of healing. “This wasn’t a wild bird.” Akaashi explained. “It might have been at some point, but it was either, captured and sold illegally or it was born and raised in captivity illegally.” He pointed to the missing flight feathers and other injuries. “He probably had his wings clipped so he couldn’t fly away, and his claws cut to avoid injury to the handler.” He explained. “I can heal his minor injuries, but two of those claws were cut too short and they will never grow back. And with clipped wings, he will never fly again.”  


Bokuto reached out to rub soothing circles into Akaashi’s back. He wanted to be able to help, but he was utterly useless in the circumstances.   


“I need to do a scan of his head, it is very unlikely that he has managed to avoid head trauma through all this.”   


  


They ended up spending half the night at the shelter, patching up the bird and monitoring it for signs of consciousness. When the bird finally woke up, it was violent and lashed out at the new surroundings, but its motor skills seemed intact. “He seems like he will pull through.” Akaashi said. “Though if we can’t train him to be less violent, he will still need to be put down. It’s unlikely that it has ever been properly socialized with other birds.” Akaashi sent Bokuto to grab his leather gloves and gently tossed a towel over the poor birds head so he would be able to pick him up easier.   


Once he got the bird in the cage and Bokuto got the card written out, they made their way out of the shelter, bidding Yachi a good night. Bokuto fell asleep on the train, and Akaashi himself nearly did. They were slow, their footsteps heavy as they trudged their way back up to Bokuto’s apartment. They let themselves in quietly and without much fanfare, went directly to sleep.   


  


Akaashi had never been more grateful to receive a call as he had been when his phone rang at 8 am to let him know that he did not have to go to work on time that morning. His boss had apparently heard from Yachi about the incident last night and he went in himself to watch over the birds until 11.   


He set his phone back down on the night stand and rolled over to bury his face into Bokuto’s neck, though he took his time to look at Bokuto’s sleep-slacken face for a moment or two first. It wasn’t very often that Akaashi had the chance to wake up before Bokuto.  


Though, Akaashi wouldn’t get to go back to sleep. Bokuto scrunched up his face and blinked his eyes open to look at Akaashi. “Who was that?” He asked, words slurred by sleep.  


“My boss.” He said, quiet so as not to disturb the morning softness surrounding them. “I don’t have to go into work until later.”   


Bokuto nodded simply before leaning in to kiss Akaashi’s forehead, then he slowly rolled his body weight on top of Akaashi, slow enough that Akaashi hadn’t realized what exactly he was doing until he was buried under the mound of muscles.   


Akaashi just laid there for a moment, breathing slightly more labored, but not altogether impossible. “What are you doing?” He finally asked, his arms drawing lazy patterns against Bokuto’s back.   


“Cuddling.”  


“You’re doing it wrong.”  


Bokuto laughed softly and lifted himself up on his elbows so he could look Akaashi in the face. “You can’t cuddle wrong.” He assured Akaashi, “I’m just cuddling hard.”  


Akaashi snorted and lifted his knee, pressing incessantly between Bokuto’s legs. He let out a soft hum to go along with the grunt Bokuto released. “Very hard indeed.” He teased, a wicked smile playing on his lips.   


Bokuto pursed his lips before leaning in to kiss Akaashi. When he pulled back he snorted, “You taste like ass.” He grumbled.  


Akaashi shrugged, “I thought I was the only one in the relationship who knew what ass tasted like.” He retorted, “Besides, you knew morning breath was a possibility before you even leaned in.”  


Bokuto nodded sagely, “Fair enough.” Apparently the bad taste wasn’t enough to deter Bokuto because once their banter had died down, he leaned in for more kisses.  


They both jolted when a knock came at the door, Kuroo poking his head into the room. “Oh.” He said, “Sorry I expected you to still be sleeping, not fucking already.” He laughed, only getting louder when Bokuto blushed a deep red. Once he calmed down he grinned at the two of them. “Just wanted to let y’all know that Kenma and I were going out. We were just gonna get breakfast, but I guess I’ll keep him out for a little longer.” He said with an exaggerated wink, closing the door just barely in time to avoid the pillow Bokuto chucked at him.   


Akaashi laughed along with Kuroo, but his grin softened slightly at the edges once the door was closed. “Well, we may as well take advantage of the alone time.”  


Bokuto snorted and leaned in for another kiss. “Fine, but we gotta brush our teeth.” He said, lifting himself off the bed much to the chagrin of Akaashi who tired fruitlessly to pull him back into the bed. Bokuto leaned down and kissed Akaashi’s nose, causing Akaashi to wrinkle his nose and swat at him. “I’ll go get cleaned up too.”  


Akaashi hummed and laid back down on the bed. “You know,” He started, turning his head to look at Bokuto. “If you ever want to top, you can say so. I’m more than happy to switch.” He said.  


Bokuto grinned brilliantly, “I appreciate it, but if it’s all the same to you. I’d like to stay like this for a little while. I’ll let you know if I change my mind.” Akaashi nodded and Bokuto left the room.   


  


While Bokuto was in the shower, Akaashi decided to just brush his teeth in the kitchen sink and grab some towels to place down under their bodies. While he was setting up the bedroom he remembered Bokuto’s secret little box and he pulled it out to look inside again. He had only gotten the chance to look at it for a short while the last time he had seen it.   


He opened the box to look at the wide assortment of toys within. It was really only stuff people tended to use for solo masturbation, which Akaashi expected since he knew Bokuto had not been sexually active for some years. Akaashi raised his eyebrows when he pushed aside some of the smaller things to find a rather large dildo. It really wasn’t anything huge, not like Bad Dragon level, but it was definitely larger than the average dick. He pulled it out and set it on the bed. It was clearly new, the cellophane wrapper still clung tight to it.   


Akaashi jumped slightly when Bokuto entered the room. He looked over his shoulder at Bokuto. “This is quite the assortment.” He noted.  


Bokuto stopped in his tracks, his face slowly growing red as the realization of what Akaashi was looking at dawned on him. “Keiji-“ He started, only to get cut off by Akaashi raising his brow and Bokuto having no real defense.   


“Some of these weren’t here when I put this away after the hospital visit.”   


“Uh. Well, you know.” He muttered, clearly beyond embarrassed by his small collection.  


“Can I use some of them on you?” Bokuto seemed to short circuit at the mere thought of having Akaashi wreak him with them.   


“Yes, please.” He squawked out. When Akaashi held up the large, unused dildo, Bokuto silently nodded.   


Akaashi smiled and set it back down on the bed, then stood and made his way over to Bokuto, who was still standing in the doorway. “I’ll take good care of you.” He promised, leaning up to kiss Bokuto softly.  


When the kiss broke, Bokuto seemed more himself. “You always do.” He said.   


“Can you tell me which toys you like best?” He asked, pulling Bokuto back to the bed.  


Bokuto was still flustered, but he picked up a small dildo. Smaller than the average dick. “I don’t know if I’d say it was my favorite,” He started, rolling it between his hands, “But when I want something in me, but I don’t have a lot of time it’s the best option so I use it a bit more than the rest.” He explained. “It’s small enough where I don’t have to do as much prep as long as I use extra lube.”  


Akaashi chuckled, “You already use basically the whole tube every time.” He snickered.  


“Do not.” He said, but he laughed too. “Okay maybe I like it a little messy.” His eyes fell to a small prostate massager he had too. “Oh but this one feels really good.” He said. “I bought this one after the ER incident because the vibrations felt _so _good, but I was a little scared of getting something else stuck up there.” He laughed, “But this is such a weird shape I don’t have to worry about it.”  
__

__Akaashi nodded along. He took the prostate massager away and placed it next to the large toy, “Anything else?” He asked.  
_ _

__Bokuto shrugged, “I like them all.” He said, “If I don’t like something then I usually get rid of it.” Sex toys were expensive though, so Bokuto always made sure to think a purchase all the way through first. He didn’t usually end up buying things he didn’t want later.  
_ _

__Akaashi hummed as he thought about it and set the toys on the bedside table next to the bottle of lube, unwrapping the large dildo so he didn’t have to do it with lube covered hands later. He sat himself against the headboard and invited Bokuto to sit in his lap, patting it invitingly.  
_ _

__Once Bokuto had settled in, he leaned over to kiss Akaashi, cupping his face gently between his large, rough, palms. Akaashi went pliantly into the kiss, tipping his head back slightly to adjust the angle for an easier slide of lips. When Bokuto eventually broke the kiss Akaashi smiled at him. “I want to try something else.” Akaashi said, “Do you remember when Yamaguchi-san and Tsukishima-san were here?” He asked, when Bokuto nodded, Akaashi continued. “Well, when we were getting up to go to sleep, I pulled your hair to get you to move and you moaned. Like a porn-star quality moan.” Akaashi pointed out, “So I guess I just wanted to know if that was something you liked, because I am more than willing to adjust to your preferences.” He explained.  
_ _

__Bokuto, groaned, tipping his head back and covering his face in mild embarrassment at the recollection. “I was hoping you would forget about that.” He grunted.  
_ _

__“Does that mean you don’t like that?”  
_ _

__“No, I do. It was just a very embarrassing night for me. All around. I mean, Kuroo was prancing around with my x-rays, there was the moan thing, Kuroo and I basically made-out on accident.” He listed.  
_ _

__Akaashi huffed, “I’m aware. I was there.” He said with a small smirk playing on his lips. “But I still want to try. If you want to.”  
_ _

__Bokuto mulled it over for a moment before tipping his head forward to look at his boyfriend again. “Okay.” He said  
_ _

__Akaashi smiled sweetly and pulled Bokuto in for more kissing, wanting to take their time to work each other up since Kuroo made it obvious that they would stay out for a while. After what felt like ages of just kissing and letting their hands wander mindlessly, Akaashi slipped his hands down the back of Bokuto’s boxers, the only article of clothing Bokuto bothered putting on after his shower.  
_ _

__Bokuto hummed into the kiss and reached down to pull off Akaashi’s t-shirt. They were slow and methodical in the way they got each other worked up. There was no less of the raw passion they had experienced when they first got together, with their stolen kisses and long, drawn-out make-out sessions that didn’t always end in getting release. They knew each other’s bodies well by now.  
_ _

__Akaashi knew just where to press his fingertips into Bokuto’s lower back to have him arching into the touch, just as Bokuto knew to slide his fingers just under Akaashi’s naval to send his abdominal muscles clenching. Small manipulations of erogenous zones that often get neglected or forgotten about all-together in quick trysts or when having sex with people who you weren’t expecting a repeat offense.  
_ _

__“Koutarou.” Akaashi mumbled, Bokuto looked up at Akaashi from where he had been watching his fingers tracing patters in Akaashi’s skin.  
_ _

__He hummed noncommittedly before pressing in for a kiss with his partner, “What?” He said as he pulled back.  
_ _

__Akaashi pushed Bokuto’s underwear down over Bokuto’s rump. “Off.” He muttered, the action caused Bokuto to laugh, but he stood and kicked away his boxers before climbing back into Akaashi’s smaller lap. “Lube?”  
_ _

__Bokuto reached over for the lube and pressed it into Akaashi’s waiting hand. He leaned forward to kiss Akaashi yet again as the other man poured lube over his fingers and pressed forward to slide one finger into his boyfriend. “Do you think our lube consumption will go up once we live together?” Bokuto asked as he buried his face in his partners’ neck.  
_ _

__Akaashi hummed, but it lead to a chuckle. “Perhaps. You’re quite greedy when it comes to sex.” He pointed out, as though Akaashi wasn’t just as prone to starting something as Bokuto was. “Pass me the prostate massager.”  
_ _

__Bokuto whined, but he diligently reached forward and handed the toy to Akaashi. “Should we change position?” He asked.  
_ _

__“Do you want to?” Akaashi asked, looking up at Bokuto from under his lashes.  
_ _

__Bokuto thought about it for a moment before decidedly shaking his head. “Nope.”  
_ _

__Akaashi huffed and grinned at his boyfriend. “Then don’t move.” He lubed up the prostate massager with nothing more than the already excessive amount of lube on his own fingers, then pressed it in. He could feel Bokuto clench around the toy, and his legs clenched around Akaashi’s thighs. He heard the small moan Bokuto let out though, so he had no worries about having hurt Bokuto. Knowing that, Akaashi didn’t hesitate to press the button on the very end and turn on the low vibrations.  
_ _

__He felt more than he heard the low moan Bokuto let out, pushing backwards against Akaashi’s hand. “Feels good.” Bokuto slurred, pressing sloppy kisses into Akaashi’s shoulder.  
_ _

__Akaashi hummed in agreement as he pushed the toy forward to rock it gently against Bokuto’s prostate. He squirmed and whined, but he never said stop, and Akaashi was well enough in-tune with Bokuto’s body to know if he was over-doing it. Akaashi loved the power-trip that came with reducing Bokuto to this state. He could feel Bokuto’s wet gasps and sloppy kisses against his neck, he could feel the dampened hair pressing against the side of his head, the slick slide of sweat gathering where their chests where pressed so tightly together that the chilly air of the room could no longer cool it.  
_ _

__Akaashi felt ready to burst just from the sensation of providing pleasure to Bokuto, someone who is so loud and rambunctious and outgoing in everyday life, but also so quiet and laid back and willing, wanting, to give up control in the bedroom. Akaashi couldn’t get over the amount of trust that Akaashi and Bokuto had built up to get to the point where Bokuto could feel completely at ease having sex with Akaashi.  
_ _

__He jerked slightly when Bokuto whined in his ear. “Keiji.” He moaned, shifting in his lap. “More.” Akaashi hummed and pressed a kiss to Bokuto’s temple, pulling the vibrating toy out and tossing it on one of the many towels set aside.  
_ _

__“Grab it for me.” He said, knowing that he didn’t need to tell Bokuto which one. As predicted, Bokuto handed Akaashi the smaller of the dildos and Akaashi wasted no time in lubing it up and pushing it in. He heard Bokuto take in a sharp breath, then let it out slowly as he moaned. Bokuto shifted back somewhat, laughing as their heaving chests stuck together just slightly.  
_ _

__“I love you Keiji.” He mumbled, leaning in for a messy kiss. Akaashi hummed into the kiss and reached up with one of his hands to tug lightly on the strands of Bokuto’s hair.  
_ _

__The _moan _that Bokuto let out… Akaashi felt as though it sucked all the oxygen from the room. Aside from the small moans and occasional demands and comments that Bokuto made during sex, Akaashi was used to his relatively quiet nature during their intimate moments. Akaashi felt Bokuto stiffen in his lap, probably embarrassed. Akaashi couldn’t let that stand.  
___ _

___“You sound so good Koutarou.” He mumbled, leaning forward and tugging Bokuto’s head back as he twisted the dildo inside his boyfriend again. He swallowed thickly at the pathetic whimper that Bokuto let out.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi let up on the pressure he had on Bokuto’s scalp in order to let Bokuto slump against him again. He felt Bokuto nuzzle into his neck and he smiled to himself. Akaashi kept up a slow, perhaps torturous pace with the small dildo, occasionally giving Bokuto’s hair a soft tug. “Are you gonna fuck me?” Bokuto asked.  
_ _ _

___“Don’t know yet.” Akaashi answered honestly. He really wanted to see that rather large dildo inside his boyfriend first, then maybe after if Bokuto was feeling up to it, though he was also more than content to just take care of himself after making a mess out of his boyfriend.  
_ _ _

___“’Kay.” Bokuto hummed. He reached behind himself to take hold of the hand Akaashi was using to press the dildo inside him. “I’m ready.” He mumbled, flushed with both excitement and a little embarrassment.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi raised his brow and smiled. “Alright. Do you still want to stay in my lap?”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto shifted slightly, lifting himself off the dildo and reaching for the large one. “Yeah.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi nodded and set the small dildo aside, taking the large one from Bokuto and spreading some fresh lube on it. “Do you want me to stretch you more?” He asked. He supposed it might hurt if he didn’t, but he wasn’t sure what Bokuto was in the mood for. When Bokuto shook his head, Akaashi nodded. He reached around his boyfriend once more and lined up yet another toy.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi paused when he felt the shudder that wracked Bokuto’s body when he started pushing the toy inside him. “Are you okay?” He asked softly, turning his head to try to catch a glimpse of Bokuto’s expression. He felt Bokuto nod, but he also felt like he needed more confirmation. “Can you look at me?”  
_ _ _

___Time seemed to stand still as Bokuto slowly sat backwards some, groaning as the movement caused him to sit deeper on the large intrusion. The sight though, Akaashi felt his mouth go dry. He had seen Bokuto’s face during sex many times, but this was an expression he wasn’t familiar with. Bokuto’s face was red and he had the fat of his lip sucked between his teeth, his eyes were half lidded, gaze unsteady. “Why’d you stop?” He asked softly.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi swallowed around the sudden surge of arousal. “I thought I hurt you.” He answered quietly, though now that he knew better, he started pushing the toy in again. With full view of Bokuto’s face, Akaashi watched with rapt attention.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto shivered again as the thick toy stretched him further than he had ever stretched, and reached deeper than anything that had ever been inside him. His eyes lulled slightly and he sucked his lip back into his mouth as he rocked ever-so-slightly back on the toy. Once it bottomed out and Bokuto could feel the tapered end he let out a soft _whoosh _of air and opened his eyes fully again to look at Akaashi. “Feels good.” He said.  
___ _ _

___“I can tell.” Akaashi said with a slightly hysterical chuckle. His own eyes were blown wide, trying to take in every facet of Bokuto’s body. “You look so good.”  
_ _ _

___Bokuto smiled at him, “So do you.” Bokuto reached up and pressed his thumb into one of the many marks that Bokuto had left on Akaashi, causing Akaashi to let his own soft moan out. Bokuto shifted backwards, balancing himself in Akaashi’s lap by wrapping his hands around Akaashi’s shins.  
_ _ _

___Looking between their bodies nearly made Akaashi dizzy. He slipped the dildo out some and watched Bokuto clench around the toy. While Akaashi was staring at the toy disappearing inside his boyfriend, Bokuto watched Akaashi’s face. He could see the arousal plain as day in Akaashi’s expression, his eyes were lidded, pupils blown wide, lips swollen from kissing. It was entrancing to Bokuto. Very slowly, Bokuto started rocking his hips, riding the toy. Since Akaashi was still mostly controlling the pace and depth, Bokuto just rocked slightly, not wanting to usurp Akaashi’s dominance.  
_ _ _

___It felt like hours. Akaashi kept the pace slow, knowing that a slow build up was Bokuto’s favorite way to get off. “Keiji.” Bokuto groaned, “Faster. _Please _.” He whined.  
___ _ _

___Akaashi looked from Bokuto’s pleasure filled expression, down his red tinted chest, and finally landed on his swollen member. Bokuto was _dripping _. “Do you think you can come without me touching you?” He asked, his eyes serious as they looked at Bokuto.  
___ _ _

___Bokuto sucked his already swollen bottom lip back into his mouth as he thought about it. “Maybe?” He said softly, unsure but always willing to try something new, “If you go faster.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi laughed softly and conceded, plunging the toy into Bokuto and pulling it back out with a much faster pace. Bokuto jerked in his lap and arched his back slightly and moaned. His hips twitched with every pass over Bokuto’s abused prostate.  
_ _ _

___Within minutes Bokuto was curling forward again, bracing his hands on Akaashi’s shoulders and burying his face into his lover’s neck. He gasped against Akaashi, his thighs tightening around Akaashi before finally hitting his precipice.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto shuddered violently as he found his release, his grip tightening around Akaashi. After a few moments his slumped entirely in Akaashi’s lap. Completely spent. “ _Oh my God _.” Bokuto moaned, “I think you killed me.”  
___ _ _

___Akaashi moaned with Bokuto when he felt the other man find his release, watching Bokuto come was an amazing experience. He rubbed Bokuto’s back as he slowly came down from his high, slowly working the dildo out of Bokuto and laying it down next to them.  
_ _ _

___Eventually Bokuto sat back up and stared down at Akaashi for a moment before finally leaning in to kiss his boyfriend. “I don’t think I can move.” He chuckled. He ran his fingers down Akaashi’s chest before pushing Akaashi’s underwear down and taking his member in his hand, he stoked him lazily, completely worn out.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi groaned and pulled Bokuto in for a kiss before manhandling Bokuto onto his back. “I’m going to take a shower and take care of this.” Akaashi said, seeing that Bokuto was struggling to even keep his eyes open, never mind jerk him off.  
_ _ _

___“Nooo.” Bokuto whined. “You can still fuck me.” He said, blinking slowly.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi rolled his eyes, pressing a kiss to Bokuto’s forehead. “No. You’re going to fall asleep.” He said. Bokuto opened his mouth to argue, but it quickly turned into a yawn, effectively ending the argument for him. Akaashi laughed and tugged his underwear back up and helped Bokuto move around. Once Bokuto was comfortable between the sheets and the towels were cleared, Akaashi took the toys with him to the bathroom so he could clean them after his shower.  
_ _ _

___  
_ _ _

___When Akaashi returned to the bedroom he laughed at the sight before him. Bokuto was splayed out on the bed the sheet loosely tossed over his lower half, probably trying to cool down after their activities. He could hear the soft snores coming from his lover and smiled to himself. He put the toys away before pushing Bokuto over slightly, he stirred slightly, barely enough for Akaashi to help him into underwear. Soon enough Akaashi settled down, molding himself to Bokuto’s back before letting himself go back to sleep too.  
_ _ _


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not like, 100% satisfied with how I paced this chapter, but hopefully it still reads okay. This is the penultimate chapter. I have some more stuff in the works, but I'm overloaded on credits for this semester so I don't know how much I'll be able to crank out in the coming months.  
> Thank everyone so much for the support!

Akaashi was surprised when Bokuto didn’t answer his calls of texts, but he didn’t worry about it too much. He just assumed that Bokuto’s phone had died or that he was in practice. However, after not getting any communication at all by the time Akaashi was headed home, he got a little more worried. He tried calling Bokuto again, but again got no answer.  


Even though he was worried, he simply went home. Him and Bokuto had been spending a lot of time together and Akaashi assumed that maybe Bokuto just wanted some space. It wasn’t until well into the night that he finally got a text from Bokuto.  


Eyeing the text he decided to try giving Bokuto another call. It took a few rings, but Bokuto picked up. “Hey.” Bokuto answered quietly.   


“Do you want me to come over?” He asked.   


“No, no. It’s okay.” Bokuto said. “I don’t want to inconvenience you.”  


“Koutarou.” Akaashi breathed, closing his eyes as he finally realized why Bokuto was being distant that day. “You are never an inconvenience. I would rather be with you while you’re feeling bad then sitting at home, alone.”  


There was silence on the other end of the line before he heard a soft sniffle. “I-I- It’s okay Keiji. Really. I mean. I guess I won’t stop you from coming over, but Kuroo’s home too.”  


“Okay.” He paused. “Koutarou.” He said, “I love you.”  


He heard the shaky inhale on the other end of the line. “I love you too.” He said, “So much.”  


Akaashi had a slight internal debate before he got back out of bed and dressed. There was no way he could leave Bokuto in that state, even though there was a small chance that Akaashi going over would make Bokuto feel guilty, there was a higher chance that he would be able to make Bokuto feel at least a little better.   


When he got to the apartment he let himself in, not wanting to wake Kenma and Kuroo if they were already asleep, and made his way to the bedroom. He was surprised when he heard a voice behind him. He turned around to see Kenma wrapped up in a blanket on the couch. “Bo is in our room.” He muttered.  


“Why?” He asked, confused.  


Kenma snorted. “Well, you know how they are.” He said. “Sometimes I have to give up my spot in bed when Bokuto is having a bad day.” He said. “But you can go in there. Kuroo won’t even care if you just crawl in bed.”  


Akaashi nodded. He swallowed and calmed his own nerves. He knew there was nothing to worry about. He _knew _that Bokuto and Kuroo weren’t fucking around, but Akaashi couldn’t help the one second of fear when Kenma said they were sleeping together.  
__

__He opened the door and with just the light streaming in through the window navigated his way to the edge of the bed. He stood there a moment trying to figure out which figure was Bokuto when someone shifted. “Just lay down you creep.”  
_ _

__Akaashi jerked as he heard the deep voice come from one side of the bed. “Sorry.” Akaashi whispered, going to the opposite side of the bed from the voice. He set his glasses down on the nightstand before sliding between the sheets. It felt weird crawling into a bed with his boyfriend and another man, but wrapping his arms around Bokuto still brought a sense of comfort. He looked up and noticed Kuroo’s half-lidded stare following his movements.  
_ _

__“I wasn’t sure you were coming.” Kuroo whispered, moving his arms slightly so that Akaashi could get comfortable.  
_ _

__Akaashi hummed. “He only told me about an hour ago.” He said.  
_ _

__Kuroo nodded, his fingers brushing through the back of Bokuto’s hair. Bokuto had his face buried in Kuroo’s chest and his arms wrapped tightly around his best friend. “I hope you don’t think it’s too weird.” He said. “I also hope you know that he won’t ever cheat on you. You have-.”  
_ _

__Akaashi shushed him. “I know.” He said. “Sure there is the initial spike of worry, but I’m just glad he has a friend who cares as much as you do.”  
_ _

__Kuroo nodded. “Thank-you.”  
_ _

__“Go to sleep Kuroo-san.” Akaashi said as he moved closer, molding himself to Bokuto’s back and pressing his face against the back of Bokuto’s head. It felt weird to feel an extra set of legs there when he pressed his knees to the back of Bokuto’s knees, but he quickly fell asleep regardless.  
_ _

__  
_ _

__When morning came, Akaashi woke up to hushed whispers. He blinked slowly as his sight adjusted to the still slightly dark room. Even with his blurry sight he could see Kuroo lean up to kiss Kenma gently. “Sorry you got kicked out.” Kuroo whispered.  
_ _

__Kenma shrugged. “It’s fine.” He said. His eyes flicked over to Akaashi’s and then he stood up straight again. “Breakfast is ready.” He said, still quiet, probably to try not to wake up Bokuto.  
_ _

__Akaashi nodded. “Thank-you.”  
_ _

__Kuroo smiled and slowly extracted himself from the bear hug that Bokuto had around him. Akaashi didn’t move, just hugged Bokuto a little tighter. “You go.” He said, “I want to stay here until he wakes up.” Akaashi said.  
_ _

__Kuroo nodded, “He might not wake up until after you need to leave for work.” He pointed out.  
_ _

__“I know. I’ll text my boss if that happens. It’s not the first time I’ve seen him in a depressive episode.” He said, “It just might be the first time I’ve seen him go to you instead of me since… well, never mind that.” He chuckled. He wanted to say since they got serious, but there wasn’t a moment in their relationship that they hadn’t been completely serious about making their relationship work out. However, in the beginning of their relationship Bokuto was more apt to simply stay home rather than confide in Akaashi. He isn’t sure when exactly things changed.  
_ _

__Bokuto’s depressive episodes were unusual to say the least. He had even told Akaashi that his therapist had been hesitant to even diagnose it as Bipolar Disorder in the beginning because his episodes didn’t always last 7 or more days. It wasn’t unusual for his manic episodes to last a long time, but his depressive episodes could usually be coaxed away within a few days. He took mood stabilizers for the mania, and it helped.  
_ _

__Akaashi kissed the back of Bokuto’s neck and let himself fall back asleep.  
_ _

__  
_ _

__He stirred again when he felt Bokuto shifting. “Kuroo?” Bokuto called out, realizing that he was in Kuroo’s room, but not having turned around to notice it was actually Akaashi holding him.  
_ _

__“Kuroo’s in the kitchen.” Akaashi said softly, sitting up slightly and looking down at Bokuto. “How are you feeling?”  
_ _

__Bokuto seemed surprised to see Akaashi. “What are you doing here?” He asked, unintentionally disregarding Akaashi’s question of concern.  
_ _

__“You just didn’t sound right last night.” He answered. “I could tell you were depressed so I came over to be with you.” He said. “I was a little surprised to find my boyfriend in bed with another man.” He teased, but when Bokuto looked nervous Akaashi shook his head. “Don’t worry Koutarou. I’m not worried about that. I know you would never cheat on me, and I would rather you do what you need to do for your mental health.”  
_ _

__Bokuto sucked in a breath, tears welling in his eyes. Frustrated with himself for getting emotional he swiped at them angrily and groaned. “I didn’t want to bother you.” He mumbled, his voice sounding clogged with emotion.  
_ _

__Akaashi kissed Bokuto’s forehead. “You aren’t a bother.” He promised.  
_ _

__Bokuto didn’t look convinced, but he nodded and rolled over and dragged Akaashi back down into the bed. “What time is it?” He asked.  
_ _

__Akaashi reached over for his phone, “Seven.” He answered.  
_ _

__Bokuto groaned. “That means you have work soon.” He complained.  
_ _

__“Yeah I know.” He said. “We should get up.”  
_ _

__“I don’t want to.” Bokuto said petulantly. “I’m so tired.”  
_ _

__Akaashi hummed in understanding. “I know you are babe.” He said softly. “You might feel better after a run though.” He said. He wouldn’t, but Akaashi knew how important it was that Bokuto kept a schedule. “Then you can come to work with me.” He said. “I have something really cool I want to show you.” He said. “New arrival.” He said.  
_ _

__Bokuto made a lot of discontented noises of protests, but with enough coaxing he finally freed himself from Kuroo’s sheets and made his way to his bedroom to get dressed. Akaashi was hot on his tail because he didn’t grab an overnight bag when he had left his home the night before and he needed to change too.  
_ _

__Once they were presentable they stepped into the kitchen where Kuroo was doing the dishes. “Thank you.” Bokuto said, walking up behind Kuroo and resting his forehead against Kuroo’s shoulder. They spoke softly to one another as Akaashi moved to grab them food out of the refrigerator.  
_ _

__Akaashi waited for Kuroo and Bokuto to finish their conversation before handing Bokuto his breakfast that Kenma had cooked for them. “Are you going to practice tonight?” He asked.  
_ _

__Bokuto shrugged. “I told Kuroo I’d let him know.” He said. Bokuto was struggling and he assumed it was all the changes that were going to take place in his life soon. The traveling for games always threw him off his rhythm, but he could usually combat it by sticking to his usual routine while away and taking a day off right after the games to just relax and come down from the stress.  
_ _

__Even with those days off though, everyday lately had been stressful. He was even more disappointed though because he had somehow managed not to go into an episode after meeting Akaashi’s family. It had taken an immense amount of calming himself down to keep himself from pitching one way or the other after that fiasco, but now because Kuroo was moving Bokuto was freaking out? Bokuto felt Pathetic.  
_ _

__The two of them went for a run, stopping at Bokuto’s special spot for a few minutes before heading home. Bokuto never appreciated the view as much when he was feeling depressed, also it was different seeing it with the sun already having risen in the sky. Once they got back they showered and got ready for work.  
_ _

__It wasn’t long before they were making their way towards the bird sanctuary. Bokuto was abnormally quiet, and Akaashi didn’t know how to fill the silence. This happened sometimes and the both of them had to deal with it together. It was just part of being in a relationship with someone who suffered from a mental illness. Akaashi didn’t love Bokuto any less, even if Bokuto was good at convincing himself that Akaashi was too good for him.  
_ _

__When they arrived at the sanctuary Akaashi and Bokuto went about doing their normal routine, but about an hour after arriving, Akaashi called Bokuto into the clinic portion.  
_ _

__“Yeah?” Bokuto asked as he stepped in.  
_ _

__“These are our new arrivals.” Akaashi said with a soft smile. He saw Bokuto’s eyes widen at the sight of the baby owls. “Some owlets.”  
_ _

__“They’re so little.” He said as he leaned forward to look at them.  
_ _

__Akaashi nodded and reached in to pick one of them up. “They were found by some men cleaning up after that storm a few days ago.” He said, “Apparently the branch that the nest had been snapped off and the whole thing plummeted to the ground. Somehow the birds were just a little disoriented and not seriously injured, but after something like that it was very unlikely that the parents would come back for them.” Sometimes you can simply reattach the nest to another branch, but the men were going to have to trim the trees and they were very worried that the parent owls would not be able to find the babies.  
_ _

__He deposited one of the birds into Bokuto’s palm, watching as he teared up from the emotions he was feeling. “Keiji. I love them.” He said serious.  
_ _

__“I know.” He answered, fighting to keep the grin off his face. Akaashi knew that it wasn’t going to cure Bokuto of his depression, but it would distract him well enough. The rest was just waiting it out and managing it.  
_ _

__“I love you too.” He said.  
_ _

__“I know.” Akaashi leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Bokuto’s temple. “Can I ask you something?”  
_ _

__Bokuto looked up at him and nodded, “Yeah.” He breathed.  
_ _

__Akaashi thought about how he was going to ask it before finally just coming out with it. “Why did you go to Kuroo instead of me yesterday?” He asked. He tried not to sound hurt, he knew they were close but it still hurt to not be the first one there.  
_ _

__Bokuto sucked in a breath and was silent for a moment, formulating how to respond to the question. “I felt bad.” He eventually said. “A little embarrassed even. I’ve been pretty stable lately and now I’m all screwed up again.” With a grunt of frustration he could already feel tears welling in his eyes and he didn’t even have a free hand to stop them. “I don’t know why it happened. There wasn’t like, a trigger, or anything I just woke up feeling like shit.” He said. “I had no motivation to come here, which only made me more frustrated with myself.”  
_ _

__Akaashi stayed silent, but he reached out to cup Bokuto’s face in his hands, wiping away the tears with his thumbs.  
_ _

__“I just—I didn’t want you to think that I was sliding back into old habits or that it was somehow your fault that I was sad. I thought that if I just stayed away for a minute you would assume I was fine.” He snorted in exasperation with himself. “I’m just tired. I don’t want my best friend to move away, I don’t want to travel for any more games, I don’t want to field any more questions about my sexuality in interviews. I’m just—“ He groaned and leaned forward to bury his face in Akaashi’s neck, it was awkward because of their crouched position, but Akaashi was welcoming and Bokuto was careful not to hurt the baby bird in his hands.  
_ _

__Akaashi wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, one hand tangling itself in Bokuto’s hair and the other one rubbing soothing circles into his back. “I want you to know, first and foremost, that I am not, nor will I ever be, mad that you went to Kuroo.” He said, getting it out of the way. “I was just a little hurt that you didn’t seem to even want to let me know you were not feeling well. Kuroo has known you for six years longer than I’ve known you, he will always have known you for six years longer than I have. You guys are intimate in ways that you and I have barely scratched the surface of.” He explained. “You two share a deep and profound love for each other, you love him like a brother, and he feels the same way. I can never be mad at you for that.”  
_ _

__Bokuto sniffled and nodded. “I love you too.” He mumbled.  
_ _

__“I know Koutarou.” Akaashi said softly. “I love you too. More than I think I’ve ever loved anyone.” He chuckled, “And because I love you, I want you to share your frustrations with me. I want you to tell me when things are getting bad. You will never be bothering me, because I promise you, no matter what, your health is the most important thing to me. I don’t want to lose you over something that I can help you with.”  
_ _

__Bokuto nodded again, “Okay.” He whispered. He sat back some. “It really is just stress.” He said, “With all the moving I haven’t been able to stick to my schedule, which is already messed up from traveling for games.”  
_ _

__Akaashi understood and he smiled gently, “Well, we’ll just have to work harder to keep you on your schedule.” He said. “What if I stay with you three until the official move out date?” He offered. “Then I can make sure you run every morning, you can come to work with me when you don’t have a game, and then I can go to practice with you whenever you want.”  
_ _

__Bokuto bit his lip, “That’s a lot. You sure you won’t get sick of me?” He asked.  
_ _

__Akaashi huffed and shook his head. “No way. It is a lot, I’ll admit, but it would be as advantageous to me as to you. I’m terrible at waking up early to run.” He laughed.  
_ _

__Bokuto smiled weakly and nodded, “I’m sure Kuroo and Kenma wouldn’t mind the extra hands in packing up either.” He said.  
_ _

__“Don’t forget to pack your own stuff.”  
_ _

__Bokuto was silent for a moment before his eyes widened comically, “Oh my God! Keiji! I haven’t packed up anything!” He said. He had been so focused on the fact that Kuroo and Kenma were moving out that he failed to realize that he was also moving out. “I’m so dumb.” He groaned.  
_ _

__Akaashi chuckled and took the baby bird from Bokuto, putting him back under the heating lamp with his brothers and sisters. “You aren’t dumb, you’re distracted. It happens to all of us.”  
_ _

__“Doesn’t seem like it happens to you.” Bokuto pouted, standing up and offering Akaashi a helping hand.  
_ _

__“Ah. Yes. That is because my mind is constantly going through an existential crisis and I have mastered the art of pretending that I am calm. I assure you Bokuto, I freak out about stuff too.” He stated it completely deadpan, making Bokuto laugh softly. Akaashi softened his features and tugged Bokuto down for a soft kiss. “Remember at my parents’ house? I can lose my cool too.” He reminded him.  
_ _

__Bokuto nodded, feeling a little better about the state of things. He took a deep breath, “I’m going to go clean the aviary.” He stated. “If I get that done real fast, can I play with the babies again?”  
_ _

__Akaashi chuckled, “Of course Bokuto. Perhaps I can show you some of the ropes for training them when they get a little bigger.” Akaashi wasn’t the person in charge of training them; that would be their resident falconry expert but Akaashi learned a lot about handling the birds when he started. He had to in order to not get hurt while doing his job.  
_ _

__While Bokuto was in the aviary cleaning, Akaashi also grabbed out some new nameplates so that Bokuto could fill out the little birds names too. He would enjoy that immensely.  
_ _

__  
_ _

__“Hey Keiji!” Bokuto exclaimed. He was away for a game at the moment, but Akaashi still made sure to call and check in on him. They were in the final stages of the volleyball season with finals right around the corner. “How was work?”  
_ _

__“It was good.” Akaashi answered. He had finished up a little while ago. “I just wanted to call and let you know I’m going out with a friend tonight so my texts might be a little scattered.” He said.  
_ _

__Bokuto shifted his phone to his other hand so he could grab his gym bag. “Alright. Do I know them?” He asked, genuinely curious. He had met a few of Akaashi’s friends in the past and had liked them all.  
_ _

__“Hmm. I think he was at the Christmas party. Komi?” He asked.  
_ _

__“Ah, I don’t remember.” He laughed.  
_ _

__“Well, he’s visiting because the film he’s in is shooting nearby so I told him he could stay with me rather than pay for a hotel.” He explained.  
_ _

__Bokuto nodded before remembering that Akaashi couldn’t actually see him. “Oh yeah! The actor, I remember him. He was super cool.”  
_ _

__Akaashi laughed lightly, “He’s alright, we don’t want him to get a big head.”  
_ _

__Bokuto looked up when his teammates yelled something. “Oh I gotta go Keiji. I’ll see you tomorrow!” He cheered. They said their goodbyes and hung up.  
_ _

__Akaashi stared at his wardrobe and thought about what to wear for only a moment before grabbing a shirt Bokuto had bought him just a few weeks prior. It was a black shirt with bold white print that read: SETTER but underneath it had a photo of an English setter dog. It was exactly Akaashi’s brand of humor and he loved it.  
_ _

__  
_ _

__“Akaashi!” Komi greeted, waving him over from where he was standing outside the bar they were going to.  
_ _

__Akaashi let an easy smile break his face. “It’s so good to see you.” He said as they hugged. They headed inside the bar where they spent the next few hours reminiscing or playing catch up.  
_ _

__“How’s the boyfriend?” He asked after a while. “I saw one of his interviews on TV.”  
_ _

__Akaashi grinned. “Good. He’s good.” He said. “A little stressed out lately with the moving.” He said, “But he’ll be okay.” He chuckled. “How about you? How’s your love life going?”  
_ _

__Komi sighed dramatically and flung himself back in his seat. “I thought being famous would mean it would be easy to get a date.” He laughed, “But it seems that it is still pretty hard.”  
_ _

__Akaashi snorted into his drink and rolled his eyes. “So dramatic.” He mumbled.  
_ _

__Conversation flowed easily between the old friends and soon enough they were drunk, returning back to Akaashi’s apartment in an unexpected rainfall. They laughed as they pushed into the apartment, striping off their shoes and coats. “Fuck.” Akaashi groaned, tipping his head back as he realized that the futon was out on the balcony. It wasn’t supposed to rain and Akaashi had set it out to air.  
_ _

__Komi gave him a questioning glance as he stumbled towards the kitchen for water.  
_ _

__“Futons wet and the couch is covered in boxes from Koutarou’s.” He grumbled. They had managed to pack up a few boxes of his things in between Bokuto’s last depressive episode and his next away game. The hope was that Akaashi would try and figure out where he wanted to keep the stuff, but he had yet to get around to it by the time Komi arrived.  
_ _

__“Want me to get a hotel?” Komi asked, though he wasn’t really in any condition to go anywhere.  
_ _

__“Nah.” He shrugged, “Bed’s big enough for two. Just wasn’t expecting to have to share tonight.” He laughed. “Though Koutarou’s bed is so small it will probably still feel like I’m sleeping alone.”  
_ _

__Komi laughed and dragged his suitcase further into the apartment so he could grab dry clothes and his phone charger.  
_ _

__While Komi changed Akaashi made his way to the bedroom to do the same thing. Sleep came quickly to them both.  
_ _

__  
_ _

__Bokuto grinned as he stepped off the flight from Ota. “Hey Kuroo, can you bring my bag back to the apartment with you?” He asked.  
_ _

__Kuroo raised a brow. “Gonna visit your boyfriend?”  
_ _

__“Yeah, I bet he’s gonna have a hangover, thought I’d bring him and Komi some food and coffee.” He said.  
_ _

__Kuroo nodded and held out his hand for Bokuto to hand him his gym bag. “See you later.” He said as they parted ways.  
_ _

__Bokuto stopped to grab some umeboshi and green tea, the best two things to cure a hangover. “Keiji?” He called softy as he opened the door, not expecting an answer so early. He hums to himself as he sets the pickled plums and tea down before stepping silently into the bedroom.  
_ _

__He stopped short when he saw the extra body in Akaashi’s bed. He sucked in a sharp breath and took a step back, unintentionally backing into the door and causing it to shut violently behind him.  
_ _

__Akaashi jerked at the loud noise and sat up in bed, suddenly on alert. He looked around and locked eyes with Bokuto. “Koutarou?” He asked, mind still foggy with sleep. He felt Komi move next to him, groaning and dragging the blankets tighter around himself.  
_ _

__Bokuto stared at the two surprised before finally turning around and jerking the bedroom door open. He ran into the kitchen and braced his arms on the counter as he tried to force himself to take deep breaths and think logically about the situation.  
_ _

__Back in the bedroom, Akaashi’s mind was sluggish as it assimilated what was happening. As soon as he realized what must have been going through his boyfriend’s head, he threw the blankets off himself and ran after Bokuto. He got all the way to the door and into one of his shoes before he realized that Bokuto’s shoes were still in the genkan. “Koutarou?” He called, turning around and seeing Bokuto in the kitchen. He walked up to his boyfriend and reached out to touch his arm.  
_ _

__Bokuto jerked away from the touch and sucked in a deep breath.  
_ _

__“Koutarou. Look at me.” He said, pleaded even.  
_ _

__Bokuto took a few more breaths before he raised his gaze to look at Akaashi. “You don’t have to say anything.” Bokuto whispered.  
_ _

__“Nothing happened.” He said anyway. “I promise. I just forgot the futon outside-.” He was cut off suddenly when Bokuto enveloped him in a hug.  
_ _

__“I know Keiji.” He said into the soft black curls. “I know.” He pulled back and Akaashi’s heart broke as he looked into the misty golden eyes. “It just… brought back some bad memories.” He mumbled. “I know you wouldn’t do that to me, just like a couple weeks ago when I was in Kuroo’s bed. It’s really not that different.” He said.  
_ _

__Akaashi reached forward and brushed his fingers over Bokuto’s face. “I am sorry that I brought up painful memories.” He said.  
_ _

__Bokuto nodded and smiled weakly. “I’ve never really told you about Akira.” He mumbled.  
_ _

__“You don’t have to either.”  
_ _

__“No I want to.” He said. “I’ve said before that he was nice enough.” Bokuto slid one of the green tea’s towards his boyfriend with a small smile. “That was true. At least in the beginning. He was great in the beginning.” He huffed, “But it didn’t take very long for him to start wanting… _stuff _… stuff that I wasn’t interested in.” He fiddled his fingers nervously and Akaashi reached out to comfort him, but didn’t try to stop him again. Bokuto sucked in a small breath. “I wasn’t ready for sex.” He mumbled. “I knew that but he just wouldn’t back down. He kept pushing me until I gave in, but we just… we didn’t want the same things either.” He mumbled. “He wanted to tie me up and shit, but, if I wasn’t ready for regular sex I definitely wasn’t ready for kinky sex.  
___ _

___“But we went ahead and did it, and of course I was not into it. I think I cried.” Bokuto laughed self-deprecatingly, “It was only that time and I said I didn’t wanna do it again, that I wasn’t ready. I still liked him and he seemed okay with it at first.” Bokuto sighed, “Then I went over to his house one day to surprise him. It was his birthday and I had gotten him a gift, it was Saturday and I knew he was going to be home because he told me he would be home.” Bokuto shook his head in frustration.  
_ _ _

___“I went up to his room and they were-.” Bokuto paused, frowning. “in the middle of it.” He furrowed his brows. “I was upset. Obviously. I mean I really liked that asshole and he cheated on me like… 5 days after he took my virginity.” He huffed. “I sound like a girl.”  
_ _ _

___Akaashi listened intently to Bokuto as he spoke, rubbing soothing circles into Bokuto’s wrists and the back of his hands, wherever his own thumbs were resting on Bokuto. “You don’t sound like a girl.” He huffed. “You sound like a reasonable human being.” He assured him. He leaned in and kissed Bokuto’s cheek. “Thank you for telling me this.” He said. “I’m really sorry that you had to endure that. No one should cheat on a partner.” It hurts people for much longer than the duration of a relationship and Akaashi found it reprehensible.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto leaned into the kiss on his cheek and turned to capture Akaashi’s lips in a soft kiss.  
_ _ _

___“Aww.” They heard from the doorway into the bedroom. “You guys are gross.” Komi said with a tired smile.  
_ _ _

___Akaashi and Bokuto jumped slightly, more from being surprised than because they were embarrassed to have been caught kissing. “Ah. Good morning Komi.” Akaashi said. “Koutarou picked up pickled plums and green tea.” He said, stepping aside so Komi could access the food. “And I have painkillers.” He laughed.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto grinned, “It’s nice to see you again Komi.” He was grateful for Komi waking up, it broke the tense mood that had fallen over them. “Let’s do something together!”  
_ _ _

___Since Akaashi and Komi had the day off, and Bokuto didn’t have practice until later in the day, the couple spent the day showing Komi all the sites of the city. They showed him some of the best monuments in the city and some of the best places to get coffee and food and desert. It was a good way for Bokuto and Akaashi to both relax and get their minds off the upcoming move. Bokuto had gotten some of his stuff moved to Akaashi’s place in the last week, but it was just stacked up on the couch because neither of them had any time to put it away yet.  
_ _ _

___  
_ _ _

___“I’m going to scope out apartments.” Kuroo said from behind the couple on the couch. Akaashi was fast asleep leaning against Bokuto. “Oh, sorry.” He said quieter. “Kenma and I are gonna go this weekend before the finals.” He said to Bokuto.  
_ _ _

___Bokuto nodded. “Okay. Did you text Akaashi’s friend?” He asked, looking up at Kuroo.  
_ _ _

___He nodded in response. “Yeah. That’s why it has to be this weekend.” He looked down when he heard Akaashi shift.  
_ _ _

___“That’s not the face I wanted to wake up to.” Akaashi said, causing Kuroo and Bokuto to snort.  
_ _ _

___“Yeah, yeah.” Kuroo said flippantly, waving Akaashi off as he moved away from the couple. He could hear them talking softly behind him and he had a distinct feeling that everything would be fine when they left. He worried about Bokuto, but he wasn’t sure he needed to anymore, it wasn’t going to stop him though. Akaashi seemed to be better at dealing with Bokuto’s ups and downs than Kuroo ever had.  
_ _ _

___Kuroo knew how Bokuto had been when he got depressed and Kuroo, as much as he loved his best friend, didn’t know what to do for him some times. He knew even less what he was supposed to do when Bokuto had a manic episode. Akaashi seemed to be good at dealing with it though. Bokuto’s moods had been a lot more stable since High School, however Kuroo had seen a couple episodes since the pair had started dating.  
_ _ _

___  
_ _ _

___On the long train ride to Kyoto, Kuroo turned to his boyfriend, “I’m really glad that Bokuto and Akaashi found each other.” He said.  
_ _ _

___Kenma looked up from his game and looked at Kuroo. “I am too.” He said. He closed his videogame and reached for Kuroo’s hand. “You know… you don’t need to worry so much about Bokuto.” Kenma said. “He isn’t the same emotionally unstable person he was when we were in school. He’s going to therapy regularly, he’s getting the help he needed.” He explained. “Even if him and Akaashi were to break-up, he would be fine.” He said.  
_ _ _

___Kuroo took a deep breath and relaxing back into the seat. “I know.” He groaned. “I know I shouldn’t worry so much.” He said. “Even when he got injured it wasn’t like he did anything that was detrimental to his health.” He postulated.  
_ _ _

___Kenma hummed. “Besides. Akaashi is clearly head-over-heels for Bokuto. So I really don’t think that things will go south.” He said.  
_ _ _

___Kuroo nodded, “I know. I’m just worried. They haven’t had any serious fights yet, how do they know their relationship will survive a huge fight?”  
_ _ _

___“Well, they survived visiting Akaashi’s family right? That was serious, and sure it wasn’t a fight, but it was a high stress situation for both of them and they came back stronger.” He pointed out. “Also I feel like they’ve probably fought. There is no way that they haven’t.”  
_ _ _

___Kuroo pursed his lips. “Maybe.” He pulled out his phone and googled common relationship problems for people with BPD. “I mean, I guess at least he does have his therapist for when they fight.” Kuroo muttered as he googled, causing Kenma to roll his eyes.  
_ _ _

___“Tetsuro.” Kenma said softly, grabbing Kuroo’s hand and making him put down the phone. “I know you love him, but he’s going to be fine.”  
_ _ _

___Kuroo took a deep breath and nodded. “I know I just worked myself up with worry, but my original statement still stands. I am really glad that they’ve found each other.”  
_ _ _

___Kenma offered Kuroo another small smile before going back to his videogame, Kuroo was an adult who could sort out his own feelings on the matter and Kenma didn’t feel like it was his place to meddle too much. He knew everything would be fine.  
_ _ _


	15. Chapter Fiveteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter guys!! Thanks so much for sticking through this with me! I hope it was as good for you to read as it was for me to write. I'm sorry that the chapter is a little late, but I had a hard time trying to figure out how I wanted to wrap this up.

Everything seemed to be moving too fast for Bokuto. He wished he could say that the depressive episode he had just a few weeks ago was his last one, but he had been struggling. Luckily Akaashi had been with him through it all. They had gotten most of the packing done and just needed to bring it down to the new house. “Keiji!” Bokuto greeted loudly, eliciting a tired glare from the mop of black curls that had been still sleeping in his bed.

“Go away.” He grumbled, turning his back to the man. “Too early.”

Bokuto laughed and rummaged around in Akaashi’s drawers, pulling out clothes for the other man. Stuff that was slightly worn out mostly since they were going to be working hard. “You promised.” Bokuto reminded him as he sat himself on the bed next to the unmoving lump of a person. “You’re the only one who can drive.” He reminded him. “We need you.”

Akaashi begrudgingly rolled over to look at his boyfriend. “What time is it?”

Bokuto checked his watch and cringed. “5:30.” He answered. “The rental place opens at 6 and it’s a 5 hour drive.”

Akaashi sighed and sat up, kicking Bokuto until he moved and Akaashi could swing his legs over the side of the bed. “I’m so tired. I hate you so much” He grumbled.

Bokuto felt bad for Akaashi, he had been called in late in the day before to help with a drop-off and hadn’t gone to bed until pretty late. But they had to get all their stuff out of the apartment that day too, so there was nothing Bokuto could do about that. “I bought you a coffee.” He offered, grinning wide when Akaashi groaned in appreciation and leaned in to kiss Bokuto’s cheek.

“God, I love you so much.” He said, grateful beyond measure and completely aware of his paradoxical statement to the contrary only moments before.

By 7 am they had gotten the truck loaded and ready to go, mostly because Kuroo, Kenma, and Bokuto had worked hard to make sure everything they were taking with them was packed up and by the door the night previous. The only things they left out where the things they would need in the morning, and that had been packed up before Bokuto had gone to wake up Akaashi.

Akaashi and Bokuto climbed into the front seat of the truck and bid Kuroo and Kenma goodbye. All four of them couldn’t fit in the front of the truck and Kuroo had to finish up the paperwork for both the apartment and the new house, so him and Kenma opted to take the shinkansen. The train took about half the time as the drive, so theoretically they should be there opening up the house when Bokuto and Akaashi arrived. Hopefully with food because Akaashi and Bokuto were going to be hungry.

“Oh I almost forgot!” Bokuto shouted, getting back out of the truck just as Akaashi started the engine, “I’ll be right back!” Akaashi watched as Bokuto suddenly sprinted back up towards the now vacant apartment, coming back moments later with a box. “I forgot about the food I picked up.” He laughed.

Akaashi chuckled and finally pulled away from the curb. “Well, what did you bring for us to snack on?” He asked curiously.

“Your favorite!” Bokuto cheered enthusiastically. “Miya’s onigiri!” He tilted the box so that Akaashi could see the contents and Akaashi laughed.

“A variety pack? They look amazing.” Even though Akaashi managed to keep his calm exterior, inside he was cheering. Sometimes he thought Bokuto was tailor made just for him. It made him smile softly to think about.

“We can eat them when we stop for gas.” He said. “I don’t want to distract you while you’re driving.”

“Very good idea Koutarou.” He said, even if he knew for a fact that he could eat and drive at the same time. However, he wasn’t used to driving such a large vehicle, so it was probably better for him to just pay attention to where he was going. “Why don’t you take a nap?” He suggested.

Bokuto looked over at his boyfriend and hummed questioningly.

“Well, I just figured that you have been up all night packing. I don’t mind driving with just the radio to keep my company. After all, there will be a lot more work waiting for us once we get to Kyoto.” Bokuto seemed to mull it over for a few minutes before finally nodding. He reached behind Akaashi’s seat and pulled out a blanket from one of Kuroo’s boxes.

“Make sure you wake me up if you need anything. Or if you stop for gas.” He said.

Akaashi nodded and turned the dial on the radio to softer music, hoping it would help Bokuto sleep.

Despite the fact that Bokuto never slept in the middle of the day, and very rarely was even able to fall back asleep after waking, he found himself nodding off almost instantly. “Love you ‘Kaashi.” He mumbled, falling off the precipice of sleep second later.

Akaashi smiled warmly at both the nickname and the soft snoring, “I love you too.” He mumbled, despite knowing Bokuto wouldn’t hear him.

Akaashi stopped about halfway to Kyoto, he wasn’t out of gasoline yet, but he needed to use the restroom. He gently prodded at Bokuo, “Wake up Kou.” He said.

Bokuto grumbled and rolled his head towards him. “Hey cutie.” He mumbled. As more awareness came to Bokuto he seemed to realize why he was being woken up. “Gas?” He asked.

Akaashi shrugged, “We don’t need it, but I’m going to fill up because I need to piss.” He said. Bokuto nodded and detangled himself from the blanket in order to trail after Akaashi into the gas station.

They purchased snacks, drinks and gasoline before chowing down on their packed onigiri and taking off again. This time, Bokuto didn’t go back to sleep.

“Hey Keiji?” He asked, “How good are you with English?”

Akaashi raised a brow at the random question. “Good, I guess. I wasn’t particularly bad at any of my studies. Though I haven’t kept up with it much. Just the occasional American movie here and there.” He said.

Bokuto nodded. “Well, I was looking into what I would need to know for my entrance exams, and obviously I need to know English. So I bought an English book.”

Akaashi hummed, “And? How much of it can you read?” He asked.

“I bit, I just get tripped up on longer words. Or like, words we didn’t cover in school. But sometimes that happens when I read in Japanese anyway, so it’s probably just me.” He laughed. “I was just wondering, if I read out loud do you think you can help?”

Akaashi smiled a bit, “I certainly can try.” He said. “Do you have a dictionary with you?”

Bokuto nodded and reached into his bag to pull out his Japanese-to-English dictionary and a well-worn copy of “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy,” by Douglas Adams. He smiled and began to read.

For the remaining two hours of their drive, Bokuto read aloud to Akaashi, though he stumbled a lot and by the end of the first chapter he was already sick of reading. However, Akaashi pushed him to read more. Whenever Bokuto couldn’t figure out how to say a word, never mind know it’s meaning, he would spell it out. If Akaashi still didn’t know, Bokuto would look it up.

Sometimes they had to pause for commentary, like when Bokuto read the line, “The ships hung in the sky much the same way that bricks don’t.” He sighed and turned his head to look at Akaashi, “Do people really talk like that?”

“It does seem odd.” Akaashi said, already vowing to look more up about this book. “How did you find it?” He asked.

“Tsukishima gave it to me.” He said. “He probably purposefully gave me a book that was hard to read.”

Akaashi snickered. “He probably did.” He pulled the car off the freeway and started the slow trek through the streets of Kyoto. “But, if you can figure this one out, then you shouldn’t struggle too much with other books.” He wanted to tell Bokuto that he didn’t need to know how to read English fluently in order to get into University, but Bokuto was trying his best, and English would be a good language for him to know if they ever decided to travel. So Akaashi decided that he would just amp up his own English vocabulary and learn the language with him.

“Oh I think it’s that one!” Bokuto yelled, pointing at the shabby looking exterior of a home. “He said it was kind of run down.”

Akaashi chuckled and carefully maneuvered the small truck into the alleyway. Just as he put the truck in park, Kuroo and Kenma came out of the house to welcome them. Kuroo was grinning from ear to ear and even Kenma looked happy about the new place. “You guys made good time.” Kuroo noted, immediately jumping in to help unload the many boxes.

Akaashi nodded, “Yeah the traffic wasn’t too bad.” He said. They chatted as they worked, the four of them managed to get the truck unloaded in no time at all.

“The company I just signed on with is only an 8 minute walk.” Kuroo noted. “I’m excited to be spending less on public transportation costs.” He chuckled.

“I won’t be.” Bokuto laughed. He will probably be spending the same amount. Since he took the train to get to the sanctuary and now he will need it to get to the gym for practice. “This place is nice though.” He noted. “Like, big.”

Kuroo snorted, “It need a little TLC, but I’m happy with it.”

“Good. Because you’ll be paying for it for the next 30 years.” Akaashi said seriously.

Kuroo shrugged. “Such is the way of life.” He said with a grin.

Kenma didn’t say much, he doesn’t usually, but Akaashi saw the way he looked at Kuroo. He saw the way he looked at the house. Despite its water stained ceiling and creaking floor board, Akaashi could tell that Kenma was truly happy just to be with Kuroo. The two got on pretty well since meeting and they frequently exchanged messages. He knew Kenma had been extremely nervous about the move. About leaving everything behind and starting over in a new city where they didn’t know anyone. Akaashi looked over at Bokuto and imagined where they would be after dating for as long as Kuroo and Kenma had. He thought, that maybe, he would also just be happy to be with the love of his life.

Kuroo and Kenma stood, “Where should we eat?” Kuroo said. “I’d offer to cook, but my kitchen is in 4 boxes.” He joked.

“Why don’t we just walk around?” Bokuto suggested, “I’m sure we will see somewhere to eat.”

And so the four of them set out, walking aimlessly around the streets of Kyoto until they found a small but clean looking ramen shop. They didn’t have to debate very long before deciding to go in. Kuroo mostly wanted to try it because it was so close to his new job, meaning it would be a great place to walk to for his lunch breaks.

The four of them sat around the table chatting about anything and everything, reliving a lot of the memories that they had made over the last year, and as always, telling stories from before Akaashi arrived. He never minded, they were usually hilarious.

Bokuto howled with laughter, waving his chopsticks wildly, “Remember that time I got totally shit-faced right before your anatomy final?” Bokuto asked, gaining a snort from Kenma even, so Akaashi knew it would be funny. “I didn’t even know you had that many colors for sharpies!”

“What?” Akaashi said, not understanding the link between the two.

Kuroo grinned wickedly and pulled his phone out of his pocket to scroll through his phones gallery as Bokuto explained, “Well I fell asleep face down on the floor in the living room, and since I had bugged Kuroo so much while he was trying to study he mapped out all the bones, muscles, nerves, and connective tissue he could using various colors.” He paused a moment, “On my skin. With sharpie. It took a week to get rid of it all!”

“A-hah!” Kuroo cheered pulling up a photo and passing the phone to Akaashi. Sure enough, there was his boyfriend, face down, shirtless on the living room floor. His back was covered in meticulous lines and drawings of the skeletal structure and the nervous system. He could make out some of the muscles too.

Akaashi laughed when Kuroo flipped the photo to the next one, which showed a very similar photo, but Kuroo had rolled Bokuto over. Akaashi wheezed with laughter. “Oh my God.” He was grinning so wide his cheeks hurt. “I’m dating an idiot.”

“Hey!” Bokuto squawked, “All I did was fall asleep in Kuroo’s way.”

“And annoy the hell out of him while he was studying.” Kenma pointed out.

Kuroo laughed, “I had to help Bokuto scrub his back because he couldn’t reach.” He snorted. Kuroo took his phone back and flipped through the photos until he turned it around again and Akaashi sputtered slightly.

Bokuto, curious leaned over before taking the phone away indignantly. “You took a photo?” He asked, his face bright red. The photo was clearly an older one. Bokuto had gained probably 20 pounds in muscle mass between the photo and the man sitting next to him. It was a photo of Bokuto dressed up like a girl.

“Well I for one,” Akaashi started, “Think you look great.” He said, a teasing smile on his face. He took the phone back and gazed at the photo. “How long ago was this one?”

Kuroo smiled. “It was from high school.”

“You drank in high school?”

“No.” Bokuto laughed, “I lost a bet. We were playing cards at one of our training camps and our manager won.” Bokuto pouted. “Those were her clothes”

Akaashi kicked Bokuto under the table, a coy smile playing at his lips. “You look cute.”

Bokuto wrinkled his nose and pulled his own phone out to find embarrassing photos of Kuroo. It didn’t take him long to find something. He slid his phone towards Akaashi, “Watch this.” He said, playing a short video. It was shaky footage, taken at night, probably by a drunk Bokuto. “Kuroo and I went out with some friends. He insisted that he knew parkour.” Judging by the laugh that emanated from Kuroo, he knew exactly what was about to unfold in the video.

Akaashi watched as an obviously drunk Kuroo stumbled into frame and started running down the street, he jumped and tried to kick off the wall, but he just kind of… stumbled. He staggered a few times before falling over on the sidewalk. “Clearly, I did not know parkour.” Kuroo chimed in. “And Bokuto had to carry me home.” He chuckled.

Kenma sighed, long and suffering. “How did I manage to date one of the dumbest people in Japan? And live with the two dumbest people in Japan for so long.” He grumbled.

Akaashi laughed, grinning. “Oh, Miya-san said something about a going away party after the final game?” He said, suddenly remembering.

Bokuto nodded, “Yeah. I think they’re gonna have it at his brother’s house.”

Akaashi raised a brow. “Why his brother’s. Doesn’t Miya-san own a nice home?”

Kuroo nodded. “He does. But you’ve met Sakusa.”

“I have, but… I’m confused.”

“They’re dating.” Bokuto said grinning, “And Sakusa refuses to go over ‘Tsumu’s house if it isn’t spotless.” He shrugged, “Or he’ll go over, but he won’t let his guard down.”

“Oh, right, I forgot about Sakusa’s OCD. I don’t really notice it when you guys are practicing.” He said.

Bokuto nodded sagely. “For some reason, volleyball doesn’t bother him. Or like, he can put it out of his mind for a while as long as he scrubs really well afterwards.”

“Do you think he’s like that for sex?” Kuroo chimed in, whining in pain when Kenma elbowed him in the side. “Come on. It’s gotta be something hard to overcome.” Kuroo grumbled, “Think about how many germs are in your mouth; that seems like something that would drive Omi-kun wild.”

Akaashi rolled his eyes. “I don’t really think that’s any of our business.” He said.

“Fair enough.” Bokuto nodded, “Are you gonna come to the party Keiji?” He asked.

“And get the chance to see you and Kuroo drunk together again? Absolutely. Wouldn’t miss it.” Keiji wasn’t really huge on parties normally, but he wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to go to Kuroo’s farewell party, and by extension, Kenma’s farewell party.

The four of them continued to banter and tell embarrassing stories until well into the afternoon, eventually they stood, paid the bill and wandered out of the restaurant.

When they made it back to the new home, Akaashi bowed politely. “We should get going.” He said. “We have to get the truck turned in and catch the train back.” He said.

Bokuto smiled and stepped forward to hug Kuroo. “I’ll see you at finals!” He said, squeezing impossibly hard. Hard enough to cause Kuroo to wheeze, though neither of them backed down from it.

Akaashi and Kenma stood back, not wanting to interrupt them.

By the time they made it back to Tokyo, they were both exhausted. Akaashi grabbed the back of Bokuto’s shirt as he started walking towards the platform that he would have needed to take to go back to his own apartment. “Babe.” He muttered, his eyes already at half-mast, ready to collapse as soon as they get home.

“Oh yeah.” Bokuto mumbled, following obediently as Akaashi leads them towards his apartment, though he supposed that it was _their_ apartment now.

When they finally stumbled through the doorway and into the genkan, Bokuto immediately dropped to his knees to pull off his own shoes, then Akaashi’s. “Why do you do that?” Akaashi asked softly, his fingers already pulling through Bokuto’s hair from his elevated position. 

“What?” Bokuto asked, sitting back on his heels but not getting up.

“Take my shoes off for me.” He had never bothered to ask, just let Bokuto do whatever he wanted, but he was genuinely curious.

Bokuto flushed a little and licked his lips before answering, “’Cause I like looking up at you like this.” He muttered in an uncharacteristically vulnerable voice.

Akaashi hummed, a soft smile playing on his lips. “I like it too.” He admitted.

Bokuto shuffled forward and kissed Akaashi’s hip, his hands coming up to wrap around the back of Akaashi’s thighs. “I love you.” He mumbled before he kissed the other hip, then his navel.

“We should at least try to make it to the bedroom.” Akaashi said.

“Bathroom?” He asked instead. “I want you standin’.”

Akaashi shuddered. He wasn’t sure he would ever get used to just how submissive his boyfriend was. He loved it so damn much. “Okay.” He choked out.

They made their way to the bathroom slowly, getting distracted by sleepy kisses on the way. “You know,” Akaashi started, “I might fall asleep before we get around to this.” He chuckled.

Bokuto laughed with him and tugged him into the bathroom. “Well, I can put you to bed if that happens.” He grinned, “I’ll just have to cash in on giving you a blowjob in the morning.”

Akaashi snorted, “Why thank you. You’re the sweetest.”

Bokuto pushed Akaashi up against the door and grinned, lording his few centimeters of extra height over Akaashi, forcing him to look up at his boyfriend. He leaned down and pressed gentle kisses to Akaashi’s cheek before finally falling on his lips. He moved his hands slowly up and down Akaashi’s side, pressing his fingertips in. “You’re gorgeous.” He mumbled, pressing his lips against Akaashi’s temple.

Akaashi flushed and pushed his hands up into Bokuto’s shirt, pushing the fabric up and over his head, tossing it on the floor out of the way. When he tipped his head to the side so Bokuto could trail kisses down Akaashi’s neck, he saw them in the mirror and caught his breath. He suddenly wished very much that he had a full length mirror.

Tearing his gaze away, his pulled his own shirt over his head, ignoring the way that Bokuto pouted at not being able to do that himself, then pushed his pants down as well. Bokuto finally got the hint and stripped himself bare before turning around to start the bath filling. “Lemon?” He asked, grabbing one of Akaashi’s jars of bath scents off the wall.

“Sure.” Akaashi agreed, stepping up behind him and wrapping his arms around Bokuto’s midsection. He watched as Bokuto scooped some in the tub, sighing as the citrus smell permeated the air around them.

Once he had placed the jar back on the shelf, Bokuto turned in Akaashi’s arms and dropped to his knees. Akaashi sucked in a breath. Bokuto wasted no time at all, nuzzling against Akaashi’s length before opening wide, about to suck him in. Akaashi reached out and placed his hands on Bokuto’s shoulders. “Wait.’’

Bokuto peered up at him, slowly letting his mouth close again, a question in his eyes. Akaashi leaned over and kiss Bokuto again, drawing it out slowly until Bokuto was panting in his mouth. “You want me to boss you around, right?” He guessed. It was a hunch still, the idea not fully formed in Akaashi’s mind, but he was soon proven right.

Bokuto’s face erupted in a furious blush, even so far as tainting his collarbones a light pink hue. Akaashi thought that he was beautiful. Most people saw the Bokuto on the court, or the Bokuto for interviews. He was hyper and a bit eccentric, sometimes, oftentimes even, he said things that didn’t entirely make sense to people who didn’t know him. “Yeah.” He admitted quietly.

Akaashi smiled and ran his fingers through Bokuto’s hair gently. “Why don’t we shower first?” He said, even though he was already hard and aching just from kissing.

Bokuto shuffled backwards on his knees until he had enough room to stand back up. “Okay. Let me wash your hair.” This part was something they had done many times since they started dating. Showering together after sex was a normal occurrence for them, since Akaashi didn’t like sleeping with all that mess on them. If they were in Bokuto’s room, sometimes he would let it slide, but not in his bed.

Once they were both washed up properly, Akaashi moved to stand against the wall, he hissed as his back came into contact with the cool tile walls. “Come here.” He commanded, watching Bokuto’s instantaneous reaction. Bokuto jerked somewhat, his pupils blowing wide as he realized what was happening. He stepped forward until Akaashi could reach out and pull him in for a too-soft kiss. Akaashi whispered kisses against Bokuto’s mouth for an unsatisfyingly short amount of time before he place both palms on Bokuto’s shoulders and pushed him gently to the floor, “Kneel.”

Bokuto responded immediately, dropping to his knees hard enough to hear the resounding _smack_ echo in the enclosed space. His breathing already faster, but he dared not try to do anything without Akaashi saying to do it. “Koutarou.” Akaashi murmured, “I think we should look into BDSM.” He said with a soft quirk of his lips.

Bokuto blinked up at him confused for a second. “I- I don’t think I want to get whipped or anything.” He mumbled, “I don’t like the idea of being completely immobile either.” He said. “And humiliation is definitely something I wouldn’t like. Or knives or piss.”

Akaashi hummed, threading his fingers into Bokuto’s hair and rubbing soothing circles before Bokuto can get himself worked up, and not in the good way. “BDSM doesn’t have to contain pain.” He explained. “Or anything that you just mentioned to be honest.” He said, keeping his voice soft and soothing. “It doesn’t even need to be sex. It’s more about trust.” He said. “You’re submissive.” Akaashi said, no judging in his tone, just plain fact. “And that makes me want to take care of you. When you let me take control, how do you feel?”

Bokuto hummed, listening intently as Akaashi talked. “I guess, sometimes I feel… floaty?” He said, unsure of how to explain himself properly. “I feel like the pleasure is sometimes overwhelming, but in the best possible way.” He wrinkled his nose, “I don’t think I know how to best explain it.”

Akaashi chuckled softly and nodded, “I did some internet searching after I noticed how silent you get sometimes when we’re having sex.” He said. “I wanted to make sure I wasn’t doing something wrong.”

“And you came across that?” He asked, surprised.

“It took a lot of digging.” He answered truthfully. “My point is, I think that we should look into it. We should talk more about what we want to try and what we don’t. For example, I would _love_ to tie you up, but I know you wouldn’t want to be completely unable to move.” He said.

“Well, I mean, we could try it.” He said, “Just… don’t _hit_ me.” He closed his eyes and tried not to think about his first time. How his ex-boyfriend had hit him before, saying it was kinky and would be fun.

“Come back babe.” Akaashi said softly, tugging ever-so-gently on the grey locks his still had his hands in. “You’re here. With me.” He said. “And I would never do anything you didn’t want.”

Bokuto took in a shaky breath and nodded. “Okay. We can look it up.”

Akaashi smiled. “You still want to do this now?” He asked. When Bokuto nodded, Akaashi quirked his lips, “Verbal consent is sexy.” He said, raising a brow.

Bokuto laughed a little, the room was still ripe with sexual tension, but the emotional tension caused by their conversation lessened a little. Bokuto was able to kneel upright better, more confidently. “Yes Keiji.” He said, “I still want to suck your soul out through your dick.”

Akaashi laughed, loud and surprised, a grin gracing his features. “Get me hard first.” After a second he tacked on, “Without touching my dick.” He had flagged a little during their conversation, but he knew it wouldn’t take much to get him back to full mast.

Bokuto shuffled forward a little, ignoring the slight pain in his knees from where they stuck slightly to the tile. He brought his hands up to wrap around the back of Akaashi’s thighs again, rubbing small circles with his thumbs. While he kept steady eye-contact with his boyfriend, he also leaned forward to lick and suck at Keiji’s hipbones. He trailed those sloppy, wet, kisses down Akaashi’s legs, nudging them apart so he could nip gently at the insides of Akaashi’s thighs.

Akaashi watched with rapt fascination as Bokuto worked. He kept his hands on Bokuto’s head, occasionally tugging and murmuring praise. He didn’t let Bokuto stop, even after he was fully hard. He looked across the small bathroom to where the mirror hung. He could see himself in it, he could even see part of Bokuto’s back. They looked obscene.

Akaashi gently scratched his nails across the short hairs on the back of Bokuto’s neck, eliciting a shiver and soft hum from the older man. Bokuto moved back up Akaashi’s legs and he caused Akaashi to tilt his head back with a pleasured gasp when he sucked on his balls. The skin was sensitive there, not unlike everywhere else down there, but he felt like he should probably pay more attention to that area in the future. “Keiji.” Bokuto mumbled, blinking up at him. “Can I _please_ suck you off now?”

Akaashi nodded, “Yes.” He mumbled, giving a soft tug again and making Bokuto whine deliciously. Once Akaashi was sucked into the glorious heat of Bokuto’s mouth, he knew he wouldn’t last long. He was still exhausted from the lack of sleep, then the very long car ride, unpacking, and a long train ride back. Akaashi felt like he had spent too long in the sun, it was the bone-deep, all-consuming exhaustion. If it weren’t for the fact that Bokuto was very convincing when it came to sex, Akaashi wouldn’t have minded passing out as soon as he got home.

Bokuto worked steadily, bobbing his head and using his hand to cover what his mouth couldn’t. He thrived on the small gasps and moans he was able to pull from his boyfriend, spurred further by the way they echoed off the tiled walls. Bokuto kept the hand that wasn’t stroking Akaashi firmly in place on the back of his thigh. It was grounding somehow. He felt like he needed that connection or he was going to float off, high on endorphins.

Akaashi couldn’t stop looking between his boyfriend, working so hard to please him, and the debauchery he could see in the mirror. It almost seemed like two different scenes playing out. Watching Bokuto from behind, Akaashi wasn’t able to see the earnest expression he was wearing, he couldn’t see that he was hard and leaking, but completely focused on Akaashi’s own pleasure because _that_ more than anything else was what brought Bokuto pleasure.

However, looking down at the scene in front of him, brought him face to face with the man he loved, who was working hard to show Akaashi that love in one of the most intimate ways available to them. Akaashi gasped, tugging on Bokuto’s hair incessantly, “Kou, I’m close.” He mumbled.

Bokuto felt like he was on cloud nine, hearing those words from Akaashi always seemed to elevate him to a higher place. He moaned around Akaashi’s length, pulling off only when he heard the tell-tale choked off moan of ‘ _Koutarou’_ leave Akaashi’s mouth. He shuddered himself, resting his forehead in the junction of Akaashi’s hip, waiting for their ragged breathing to calm down.

Akaashi stood there and caught his breath before finally turning his attention to his boyfriend. “Come here.” He demanded softly, “Let me take care of you.”

Bokuto huffed out a laugh and buried his face in Akaashi’s hip, his free hand moving to tangle his fingers with one of Akaashi’s hands. “No need.”

Akaashi scoffed, “I want to.” He said, tugging Bokuto up with that hand. Bokuto struggled to stand, his knees weak and feet sore from lack of blood flow. “Oh. I really don’t need to.” Akaashi said, mildly surprised at the come splattered across his feet and the fact that Bokuto wasn’t hard. He leaned forward and kissed Bokuto gently. “Get in the bath, I’ll spray this down and clean up.” He said.

Bokuto complied easily, lowering himself into the hot water with a heavy sigh. He watched as Akaashi turned the shower head on and sprayed himself and the floor down again. When Akaashi finally stepped towards the tub, he spread his legs and arms to give Akaashi room to get in, wrapping his arms around him happily.

“Wait.” Akaashi said, suddenly realizing something that had escaped his notice before. “You never took your hands off me.” He noted. “I felt both hands on me the entire time.”

Bokuto laughed nervously, “Well, maybe that stuff you said about BSDM is more up my alley than I think it is.”

Akaashi hummed in thought and leaned back comfortably in Bokuto’s embrace, satisfied with the fact that Bokuto had come without touch, and just from being bossed around a little bit.

Bokuto could tell the moment Akaashi fell asleep from the way his breathing evened out. Akaashi wasn’t a snorer, so it was much more subtle figuring out when his boyfriend was sleeping. Although, When Akaashi had caught a cold after getting back from his parents’ house, Bokuto thought the apartment was going to collapse because his snores were so loud.

Akaashi woke up the next morning when he felt Bokuto stir. “Mm, stay.” He mumbled, reaching out to pull Bokuto back into the bed by his shirt, though he only came into contact with skin.

Bokuto chuckled and looked down at his sleepy boyfriend. “Go back to sleep, I’ll be home soon.” He muttered, grinning with the fact that he could say _home_.

Akaashi blinked blearily up at him, his brow furrowed in confusion. “Wait. How- bath?”

Bokuto huffed, he thought it was adorable when Akaashi couldn’t form full sentences like that. “You fell asleep in the bath. I carried you to bed.” He said. Akaashi looked impressed with the news, nodded, and rolled over to press his face into the part of the pillow Bokuto had just vacated. “Love you.” Bokuto mumbled as he pressed a soft kiss to the back of Akaashi’s head.

They blew their final match out of the water. They won straight sets to win the season. The excitement in the locker room was palpable as everyone cleaned up to go to Osamu’s house for Kuroo’s party. “Keiji!” Bokuto grinned upon seeing his boyfriend step into the locker room. “Did you see my amazing cut shot?” He asked loudly as he ran up to him, basically crowding him against the door. Akaashi supposed that most people would be intimidated. Mostly it just turned him on though.

Akaashi reached out to place both his hands on Bokuto’s still dripping wet chest and push him back a step. “I did.” He said, “I saw all of your amazing hits. You also had that particularly great receive.” He reminded the other man.

Bokuto leaned in to kiss Akaashi, only breaking it when the hollering from behind them got too much to bear. “I saw you cheering.” He mumbled, pressing their foreheads together. “Usually I want all eyes on me, ‘cause I’m amazing, but when I see you in the stands. I just want your eyes on me. Never wavering.”

Akaashi smiled and pushed Bokuto to get him to start dressing, since he had been just standing there in his briefs while everyone behind them was almost dressed. Kuroo, staying briefly in the city just for this game and the party, slung his arm over Bokuto’s shoulders, “Don’t worry bro.” He said, grinning at Akaashi, “His eyes are _always_ on you.”

Akaashi felt himself flush a little, but he nodded regardless. “Always. Now go get dressed. There are interviewers outside.”

“Akaashi, how are you?” Akaashi turned slightly to greet the person speaking.

“I’m well. How are you Miya-san?”

Osamu smiled and leaned against the wall next to him. “Not drunk enough for this.” He complained. Akaashi couldn’t help but agree. It couldn’t be said that he wasn’t enjoying himself, but there were a lot of people here that he didn’t know and Akaashi was much more outgoing when he was drunk. He was buzzed at best.

“Where’s yer boyfriend?” Osamu asked.

Akaashi hummed. “Over there.” He pointed in the general direction of a few of the guys from the team all hanging off each other. “He left to get me another drink 30 minutes ago.” He laughed.

Osamu laughed too, then handed Akaashi one of the two beers he was holding. “Abandoned. How rude.”

Akaashi laughed, which must have been loud enough to catch Bokuto’s attention because suddenly he was meeting eyes with him. Akaashi offered him a small smile and Bokuto wandered back. He leaned in and kissed his cheek. “Here. Sorry, got distracted on my way.” He said, pressing the cold beer to Akaashi’s hand.

“It’s fine Koutarou. You should be spending this time with Kuroo anyway.” He said.

“I’d rather spend time with both of you.” He grinned.

Akaashi chuckled and cocked his head at Osamu to get him to join them, but he was interrupted by someone yelling, “Who the _fuck_ is cooking a _sock_?”

Osamu turned towards the doorway, dismay written in his features. “What the fuck.” He muttered. He took a deep breath and walked with Bokuto and Akaashi towards the group, not wanting to deal with that just yet. “No one should be that drunk already.” He complained.

“We can help clean up in the morning.” Akaashi offered. He knew the place was going to be a mess. A bunch of hyper-active volleyball players, hopped up on booze? Definitely a recipe for disaster.

Bokuto nodded, “I’m sure everyone else will too. Though, maybe morning is stretching it.” He said, watching as several of the people in the living room were shot gunning their beers.

Atsumu grinned wide, his eyes lidded more than usual as he stepped up behind Bokuto and tossed his arm over his shoulder. “Hey sexy.” He rumbled.

“Hey I thought I was sexy.” Kuroo laughed, his face red from the alcohol, he was perched under Atsumu’s other arm.

Bokuto laughed, “I’m gonna tell Sakusa.” He teased.

Atsumu whined and buried his face in Bokuto’s shoulder. “Omi Omi is the _sexiest_.” He practically moaned.

“Alright!” Osamu groaned. “Time fer bed big guy.” He knew his brother, and he could tell that Atsumu was about ready to pass out, or cry. Osamu reached out and took his brother from the other men, huffing when all his weight fell against him.

“’Samu.” Atsumu whined, burying his face in his brother’s neck as he was carried away, “I love ‘im so much.”

The other three men looked at each other and shrugged, “I think Hinata was planning on doing body shots off his boyfriend’s abs.” Kuroo said.

The next morning, all three of them woke up feeling like they had been hit by a freight train. When Akaashi finally stumbled to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee, he thought his head was going to explode. He may have gotten carried away after becoming an impromptu bartender.

He groaned and hung his head, digging through his medicine cabinet for the painkillers.

“Here.” Akaashi jumped at the voice. When he turned and saw Kenma, blessedly holding out the painkillers, he could have kissed him.

“Thanks.” He said instead, his voice rough from a night of yelling. “You should have come last night.” He said.

Kenma smiled shyly and shook his head. “I’ve made pretty good strides in managing my anxiety, but I think I would have died. Kuroo sent me several snapchat videos of the party.” He said.

Akaashi couldn’t even imagine what was on those videos. “Oh God.”

Kenma chuckled at him. “Want to watch?”

Akaashi sighed and they made their way to the couch to view the plethora of videos Kuroo and Bokuto uploaded to their snapchat stories. The first one, right off the bat, had Akaashi’s head throbbing. “I guess that’s why I’m so fucked up this morning.” He grumbled, watching a video of himself show others how to make a screwdriver. “That is not two shots of vodka.”

Kenma huffed, “You basically filled the glass with vodka. That was like, two shots of orange juice.”

The next video showed Kuroo, holding the camera with an egg in his hand. “Yo Hinata.” He heard Kuroo’s voice through the speakers, “You think I can get this egg into that jar?”

Hinata looked over and shook his head, a wide grin on his face, “No way Kuroo-san.” The next thing he knew the egg was flying through the kitchen and splattered on Kageyama’s back. Hinata doubled over laughing as the video feed cut out.

“I bet he was pissed.” Akaashi muttered.

The next was a video of Bokuto trying, and failing, to do a split. Akaashi couldn’t be sure from the quality of video, but he was pretty sure Bokuto was crying. Akaashi winced. They watched the next few videos and Akaashi continued to regret all of the life decisions that led him to this point. “I should go wake them up.” Akaashi said.

Kenma snorted. “I’ll start cooking breakfast.”

“Thanks.” Akaashi made his way to the bedroom, where Kuroo and Bokuto were curled up in Akaashi’s bed, the only part of the bed not covered by limbs was the spot he had vacated only recently. He walked up and shook Bokuto and Kuroo both awake. Akaashi wasn’t all that surprised that Kuroo was in his bed, considering that they all smelled of alcohol, and all the other smells that come with that. If Akaashi had been sober he probably wouldn’t have let them in his bed either, so he doesn’t blame Kenma for telling Kuroo he couldn’t share the futon.

Bokuto groaned and buried his face in Akaashi’s pillow. “No.” He whined.

“If you get up now you can shower with me.” He said, causing Kuroo to balk and roll over.

“You guys are gross.” He mumbled.

Akaashi chuckled. “Actually, we’re all disgusting. Come on. We promised to help clean up after, and you guys have to catch a train back to Kyoto at some point.”

Bokuto lifted himself off the bed and trudged with Akaashi to the bathroom to clean up. Once they were done Kuroo took his turn. It may have been late into the morning, but they all could tell it would be a long day.

Settling into a new routine without Kuroo and Kenma around proved easier for Bokuto than he had thought initially. It took time, of course it did, it was a massive change in his life. “Straight people are so strange.”

Bokuto looked up from his book to look at Akaashi instead. “Well yeah, but why?” Bokuto asked, leaning forward from his lounging position so he could look at whatever Akaashi was looking at on his phone.

“I was just reading this article and it was talking about how a lot of straight guys have shit stains in their underwear because they think it’s gay to wipe in between their ass cheeks when they use the restroom.”

Bokuto furrowed his brow. “That’s fucking gross.” He said.

“And I guess… what… Women just deal with that? That’s disgusting.” Akaashi shuddered. “I don’t think it is gay to be hygienic.”

Bokuto snorted. “Why are you even reading an article about that?”

Akaashi was silent for a moment, and Bokuto would have assumed he just didn’t want to answer, but one look at his partners face told Bokuto that Akaashi was just thinking about it. “I’m… not sure.” He answered honestly. “I was reading an article about how lizards can regrow their tails, then I read a related article, then… somehow I ended up here.” He said, clearly confused himself.

Bokuto laughed, his mouth spreading into a large grin, “Ah, the clickbait hole.” He said.

Akaashi locked his phone and set it down on the table next to the couch. “What are you reading?” He asked.

“Prefecture D.” Bokuto responded as he slid his bookmark into place and handed the book to Akaashi so he could read the back. While Akaashi was looking at his book, Bokuto stood and took their mugs to the kitchen so they could have fresh tea.

“This looks good.” Akaashi said, skimming through the first few pages.

“You can borrow it when I’m done if you want.” Bokuto responded.

Akaashi looked over at Bokuto from the kitchen, thinking back to all those months ago when they were in a very similar state. Both enjoying a day off and lazing about, both in comfortable clothes not looking to impress anybody, Akaashi looking at the back of Bokuto’s novel, and even Bokuto making them tea. He was overcome with the feeling of happiness. “I love you Koutarou.” He said, soft, but loud enough for Bokuto to hear him.

Bokuto smiled down at the tea, “I love you too Keiji.”

“Will you read to me?” He asked.

Bokuto looked up and started his trek back to the living room. He handed Akaashi his tea and sat back down. “You want me to read to you?” He asked, surprised.

“Yes. Well, only if you want to.” He said, “I like your voice.” He admitted, curling up in the crook of Bokuto’s arm.

“It’s not going to be like in the car. This is in Japanese.” He said. “But I don’t mind doing it. Maybe you can still help me with the words I don’t know.” He said. Usually he just looked them up on his phone or ignored them and hoped they didn’t hold too much meaning for later in the story.

Akaashi smiled and handed Bokuto back his book. “I probably can.” He said. And so Bokuto started reading. He wasn’t very far into the book, so he decided to just start it over so Akaashi wasn’t lost. It all felt so domestic. It felt perfect. Akaashi laid there listening to the soft thumping of Bokuto’s heart, listening to every inhale and exhale, letting the low timbre of Bokuto’s voice wash over him and lull him to sleep.

“Good night Keiji.” Bokuto muttered, realizing that his boyfriend had fallen asleep in his arms. Life was good like this. Peaceful. Bokuto was happy to love and be loved by Akaashi Keiji.


End file.
